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THE METHODIST CLASS-LEADER : 



A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF 



MR. WILLIAM REEVES, 

®l)irtt]-ir0xtr Wears a (Elass-Ceaber 



WESLEYAN METHODIST SOCIETY, 

A 

BY EDWARD CORDEROY. 



PUBLISHED BY CARLTOX & PHILLIPS, 



2 HULEERKY-ST R F.ET. 

1853. 






" Talk not of talents ; what hast thou to do ? 
Thy duty be thy portion—; five or two : 
Talk not of talents ; is thy duty done ? 
Thou hadst sufficient, were they ten or one. 
Lord, what my talents are I cannot tell, 
Till Thou shalt give me grace to use them well : 
That grace impart, the bliss will then be mine, 
But all the power and all the glory Thine." 

J. MONTGOMERY. 



J 



f 

TO THE 

STEWARDS, LEADERS, AND MEMBERS 

OF THB 

WESLEYAN METHODIST SOCIETY, 

AT LAMBETH, 

fg,\\% Itttle foork \% affectionately tnstrift^, 

BY" THEIR 

FRIEND AND FELLOW-LABOURER, 

EDWARD CORDEROY. 



CONTENTS. 



Chap. Pack 

I. Lambeth Chapel.. 7 

II. AUTOBIOGRAPHY 12 

III. Providential Guidance and Care 24 

IV. The Religion of Relatives Sought 33 

V. Prayer-Meetings and Strangers' Friend 

Society....; 37 

VI. As a Class-Leader Seeking*Members 45 

VII. How he led a Class 62 

VIII. Leadership, continued 79 

IX. No Duty Neglected 88 

X. Father Reeves and his Members 101 

XI. His Religious Experience 110 

XII. Religious Character and Experience 127 

XIII. Recent Experience and Death 142 

XIV. Funeral lol 

One word to Methodist Class-Leaders 158 



Jatjur %nbt$. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE GREAT ENDS OF CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY ARE INSTRUCTION 
AND EXAMPLE. BY FAITHFULLY DESCRIBING THE LIVES OF MEN 
EMINENT FOR GODLINESS, WE NOT ONLY EMBALM THEIR MEMORY, 
BUT FURNISH OURSELVES WITH FRESH MATERIALS AND MOTIVES 
FOR A HOLY LIFE. FULLER. 

LAMBETH CHAPEL. 

A little more than forty years ago, the 
active men in London Methodism made 
considerable efforts at chapel extension, 
and Lambeth chapel was among those 
erected, through their instrumentality, in 
the year 1808. 

Churches were few, evangelical preach- 
ing rare ; and the ministry of such men as 
Benson, Clarke, Moore, and others, was a 
powerful attraction, and a large congrega- 
tion was soon gathered. The Lambeth 
Society was an excellent one ; there were 



8 FATHER REEVES. 

men of intelligence, piety, and good social 
position at its head : by degrees, however, 
many of these were removed, either by 
death, or to other localities ; by degrees, 
also, other places for worship were opened, 
and both the society and congregation 
frequently changed in its leading features. 

Very few remain who were connected 
with Lambeth Methodism in 1808. One 
aged saint, who has survived all her con- 
temporaries, and many of her juniors, and 
two or three gray-headed men, who were 
then in the prime of early manhood, are 
about all (who now worship at the chapel) 
who were at all known in the society at 
Lambeth forty-four years ago. 

But Lambeth chapel has not been open- 
ed in vain ; multitudes have there heard 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, em- 
braced its invitations, and died in the faith ; 
and though manifold changes have taken 
place, the present generation of worship- 
pers listen to the same truths, sing the 
same hymns, and converse, in their class- 
meetings, of the same heaven, as those who 
first crowded within the chapel walls. 



LAMBETH CHAPEL. 9 

In the winter of 1808, a poor young 
countryman, who had lived some three 
years in the neighbourhood, but without 
God and without hope, softened through 
affliction, found his way to Lambeth chapel. 
It was the first Monday evening in Decem- 
ber : he was entirely unknown to preacher 
and congregation, but the service was for 
him, as though no one else was present ; 
he listened — he trembled. The message 
to the Laodicean Church was read: the 
tones struck sharply and terribly on his 
conscience ; it appeared as though the 
Saviour once more uttered the words — 
" Behold I stand at the door and knock ; 
if any man hear my voice and open the 
door, I will come in to him, and will sup 
with him and he with me." 

Here was Christ's appeal — here the sin- 
ner's opportunity. The young man open- 
ed his heart to the heavenly visitant, tears 
of repentance were shed, holy resolutions 
formed, and the way of life deliberately 
and decisively chosen. 

Mr. William Reeves joined the Meth- 
odist Society immediately, and about a 



10 FATHER BEEVES. 

month after obtained peace with God. 
He had reached the age of twenty-eight, 
and yet was scarcely able to read. He 
wanted to read his Bible, and he Spread 
the book before the Lord, and, praying for 
divine aid, he spelt out the words, and ac- 
complished his wishes. 

His prospects in this life seemed limited, 
for he possessed only very humble abilities ; 
yet devoting these with singular entireness 
of purpose to the service of God, he was 
borne at length to the grave amidst the 
lamentations of more than two thousand 
people, who recognised and " glorified the 
grace of God" in him. 

Few among the congregation where he 
was so powerfully and effectually convinc- 
ed of sin, would think anything of the 
probable course of the poor and ignorant 
young man before them ; they would re- 
joice that another soul had yielded to the 
Saviour, but think little more of the event ! 
Yet in that young countryman there lay 
an earnestness of intention, a consecration 
of soul to one object, which God, notwith- 
standing educational deficiences, so abun- 



LAMBETH CHAPEL. 11 

dantly honoured, that, as far as human 
judgment can form an estimate of useful- 
ness, the Lambeth Society has never had 
a man, no matter what his station or ad- 
vantages, so eminently useful as the late 
loved and honoured Father Reeves. A 
few pages of this little book are devoted to 
the exhibition of his character — as a class- 
leader, prayer-leader, visitor of the sick, 
and private Christian. But first, however, 
let the reader take a fragment of auto- 
biography. 



12 FATHER BEEVES. 



CHAPTER II. 

WHO THAT HATH EVER BEEN, 

COULD BEAR TO BE NO MORE ? 

TET, WHO WOULD TREAD AGAIN THE SCENE 

HE TROD THROUGH LIFE BEFORE ? 

J. MONTGOMERY. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

" William Reeves was born in the parish 
of Cudham, in Kent, December 15, 1779. 
My parents had no saving knowledge of 
God, though they lived a reputable moral 
life. Having a large family, they could 
not put their children to school, so that 
we had no learning; only our dear pa- 
rents taught us the Lord's Prayer and 
the Belief, and told us of heaven and 
hell, for which I pray that God would 
bless them. 

" As soon as I was able, I went to work 
with my father as a farmer's boy; and 
when a child, I often had the fear of God 
before my eyes, and felt his Spirit striving 
with me ; but not knowing what it was, I 
soon quenched it. I remember also the 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 13 

sore temptation of the devil. When I was 
about ten or eleven years of age, Satan 
tempted me to curse God. I trembled at 
the thought of it, and knew not what I 
should curse God for ; however, this temp- 
tation followed me for many days, and be- 
came stronger and stronger, till one day — 
I shall never forget the place — Satan got 
the mastery, and I, O wretch ! — I cursed 
God in my heart ; and then, whenever I 
went to the place, or thought of it, I was 
miserable. Again, tv^o years after, in 
1792, as I was gleaning, in the month of 
August, there was an eclipse of the sun, 
and Satan tempted me to curse. Here I 
also yielded, to my sorrow. All these 
things I kept to myself, and it was of God's 
mercy that he did not send me to hell. 

"About 1794, I left my dear parents 
and hired myself to a farmer for one year. 
There were many in that place that had 
no fear of God before their eyes, and I 
joined with them in all their excesses of 
riot. I stayed there two years, and then 
went to another and a worse place : here 
Satan had his will of me ; the fear of God 



14 FATHER REEVES. 

left me in a great degree, and conscience 
became hardened. I stayed there one 
year. In 1797, I returned to my parents ; 
and, for a little time, refrained from serine 
sins, and thought a little more of God. 
This did not last long. I now thought 
myself a man, and resolved to leave my 
dear parents again. Then my dear father 
gave me the advice he had often given be- 
fore, whenever I left him, and which I 
never entirely forgot. These were his 
words : — ' Will, d<T not forget God ; always 
say your prayers, wherever you are. 5 

" So, in the year 1798 I went to Eltham, 
in Kent. Here I lived in all manner of 
sin for two years, and yet the good Spirit 
of God would strive with me, and I would 
then make resolutions to serve him ; but 
O, how soon did I forget to perform them ! 
But God in his great love found out a bet- 
ter place for me. In the year 1801, I 
agreed with a master wheelwright to be 
apprenticed to him for three years. This 
was at Wigmore, near Bromley, Kent. I 
believe he was a good man. He belonged 
to Mr. Wesley's Society, and he used all 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 15 

the means he could to get me to join the 
society. I did so, and attended the prayer- 
meeting on Sunday morning, the preach- 
ing, and my class, very regularly for three 
quarters of a year ; and here I was more 
' deeply convinced of sin than I had ever 
been; so that I was often obliged to go 
into the outbuildings and fall on my knees, 
and cry to God for mercy. 

"But my master had an ungodly son 
near my own age. I gave way to him, 
and followed the pleasures of this world 
again, and so broke off from the means of 
grace a little at a time, and only went 
when it suited me ; but by the mercy of 
God I was kept from gross sins. Thus I 
went on for a year and a quarter longer ; 
then, being annoyed by the younger sons, 
tempted by the devil, and by trials in the 
world, I left my master before my time 
was out. 

"I then sought work as a journeyman 
in my trade. God had so blessed me in 
two years with readiness to learn my trade, 
that I could do almost anything at it. I 
then went to Woolwich Warren, and got 



16 FATHER KEEVES. 

some work promised; but, before begin- 
ning, I went to see my parents. My dear 
father, fearing the dreadful company that 
was in the Warren, got me employment 
with a wheelwright near home. 

"I kept in work one year, and had' 
much of the fear of God before my eyes, 
and my father and I attended very often 
a little chapel at Knockholt, belonging to 
Mr. Wesley; and I often found God so 
striving with me, that in the fields I have 
been obliged to fall on my knees and cry 
to him ; but I did not fully understand the 
way of salvation,therefore I did not enj oy it. 

"I had a sincere friend in London in 
the coach-building trade, and he was so 
kind as to get me work in that trade, 
which was much better than my former 
business : so, in the year 1805, I came to 
London. Here I was exposed to many 
temptations I had not seen before ; but at 
first the fear of God kept me. I often 
used private prayer ; this, however, soon 
ceased, and I began to break the Sabbath, 
to get hardened, and to run into all sin 
with greediness. 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 17 

"But my conscience would sometimes 
smite me, and then the devil would tell 
me that that was not the time to serve 
God, but after I had got more of this 
world's goods, or after I had seen a little 
more of this world's pleasure; and thus 
the devil led me on for two years, and at 
last he told me I should give myself to 
God after I was married; and I never 
shall forget the promises I made to God, 
on my knees, in the shop, a day or two 
before I married. I promised, if he 
would give me the desire of my eyes I 
would then give him all my heart. God 
gave me my wife on October 5, 1807 ; but 
O, how soon did I break my vow to him ! 
Here I would say, indeed God is long-for- 
bearing, and it is of his mercy that I was 
not consumed. Here also I would notice 
the love of God to me, in giving me a 
wife so agreeable to my desire — a sober, 
honest, industrious, loving one, that strove 
to make us comfortable in this life ; and I 
bless God, notwithstanding my other sins, 
he kept me from idleness and drunkenness, 

" But my poor dear wife knew nothing 



18 FATHER REEVES. 

of God ; she had sometimes attended her 
church, but knew not how she should be 
saved, and very seldom thought of God at 
all ! so I kept God's dealings with me to 
myself. 

" I had but little money : for, what with 
putting myself apprentice at twenty-two 
years of age, and learning two trades be- 
fore I was married, I had only six pounds 
after the wedding was over, and there 
were no friends on either side to give us 
so much as one shilling ; so I took a ready 
furnished room at seven shillings a week, 
for seven weeks, and then my employer 
advanced me money to get a bed, a table, 
and chairs ; and thus we began this life 
together. 

"All this time I neglected the vows 
that I had made, till — O, that blessed date ! 
— July, 1808. Lord help me never to 
forget it! My dear wife was taken ill, 
confined to her bed for many weeks, and 
her sufferings were so great, none but those 
who saw her can have more than a faint 
idea of them. This affliction continued, 
more or less, for seven years. But she 






AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 19 

had not been afflicted more than a week 
before I was taken very ill, so that we did 
not know which would die first, for we 
lay together on the bed, and could not 
help one another ; and though I was not 
so fall of pain as my dear wife; yet the 
care I had what we should do to live was 
great, for one day we had only twopence 
left, and I knew not where to go for more ; 
but the Lord provided in a way unknown. 
"But this was not the greatest of my 
affliction ; for then all my sins and unpaid 
vows came before me, so that I saw and 
felt, if I died, hell must be my portion. 
O, the agony of soul I then felt ! I began 
to cry for mercy, and for God to raise me 
up again ; and that kind and merciful God, 
who had been so many times merciful to 
me, once more heard me and restored my 
health. As soon as I was able, I went to 
a place of worship, and as often as I could. 
For several weeks I went from one place 
of worship to another, seeking to find one 
of Mr. Wesley's, for I thought I knew 
more about his preachers than any others. 
So it pleased the Lord, on the first Monday 



20 FATHER REEVES. 

evening in December, 1808, to lead me 
into Lambeth chapel. O, the blessed hour 
I ever set my feet over that sill ! That 
dear man of God, (for so he was to me,) 
Mr. William Yipond, preached that night 
from Revelation iii, 20, ' Behold, I stand 
at the door and knock,' &c. 

" He then described the many ways God 
made use of to knock at a sinner's heart ; 
and every way he described was just the 
way God had knocked at my heart ; and 
I had shut him out. O, the agony I then 
felt ! every description was like a two- 
edged sword to my soul. This was much 
deeper conviction than ever I had felt be- 
fore ; my knees smote together, and I 
thought I should sink into hell. 

" As soon as the sermon was ended, I 
was constrained to go trembling by myself 
into the vestry, to the dear man of God, 
to know what I should do. He then tried 
to give me some comfort, and spoke many 
comfortable words to me : but, alas ! I 
could take no comfort. He then spoke to 
Mr. Shaw, to take me to his class, which 
he did the next night. 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 21 

u After chapel, I went home to my dear 
wife, and took the Bible, and sat down 
and wept. She asked me what I wept 
for : I told her I was such a great sinner ; 
and if she and I died in such a state we 
must go to hell. I then began to pray in 
secret, and read my Bible at all opportu- 
nities,* and strove for some time to make 
myself better by my own good works. 

"I could get no rest day nor night, and 
what added to my sorrow was, my dear 
wife began to persecute me. This was a 
new and heavy trial, because it came from 
one I loved, and from whom I expected 
comfort — but, O ! to my sorrow, she got 
worse. 

" I then began to pray with her, which 

9 How very imperfectly our lamented friend could 
read at this time, may be learned from an extract 
from one of his papers, printed at length in chap- 
ter vii : " I, William Reeves, am the oldest member in 
the class, and I could not read a chapter in the word 
of God when I was converted ; but now, blessed for- 
ever be the Lord, I can say, ' Thy word is a lamp unto 
my feet and a light unto my path/ " 

At a recent Quarterly Meeting he confessed tear- 
fully, but joyfully, that "he learned to read his Bible 
by spelling out the words on his knees." 



22 FATHER REEVES. 

at first was a great cross : but blessed be 
God who giveth grace, my prayers were 
heard and answered — the Lord convinced 
her of sin, she went to class with me, and 
this gave me great joy. 

" Our worldly companions then began 
to forsake us, because when they came to 
see us our conversation was changed, and 
this they did not like ; so they soon all 
forsook us, and we forsook our Sunday 
pleasures. We gave up buying on that 
day, and cooking Sunday dinners, and I 
hope we shall never return to the practice. 
We then began to get a new company 
with the people of God, and they now be- 
came our delight. In about a month the 
Lord was pleased to set my soul at liberty. 
O, that happy moment ! The Lord help 
me to praise him, and never to forget it ! 
I then began to see the worth of precious 
souls, and that I had something more to 
do than merely to save my own soul. I 
began to rebuke sin wherever I saw it, and 
when I heard of any person sick, I could 
not rest until I had been to see them and 
told them of heaven and hell, and that 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 23 

they must repent, and what God had done 
for my soul. I was so ignorant that I 
thought they would believe all and receive 
all I said, and be saved. If they were in 
distress, I gave them all I had in my 
pocket. I then heard of the Benevolent 
or Strangers' Friend Society, and was re- 
commended to it by my leader ; so I joined 
that blessed work of the Lord, to the joy 
of my heart. 

" My dear wife and I continued in Mr. 
Shaw's class till he went to America, and 
then that dear man of God, Mr. Milburn, 
took the class, and he not only became my 
leader, but my father, brother, and friend. 
O that the Lord may make me thankful ! 
In that class I continued till it seemed 
good unto the Lord to remove me to be 
a leader of a class, December 3, 1818. O 
that the Lord may make me faithful in 
that important work, and help me to speak 
for eternity ! This was, indeed, a trial 
almost too great for me to bear, as I felt 
my own unworthiness for that great work. 
O that this may lead me nearer to God, 
who only can keep my soul !" 



24 FATHER REEVES. 



CHAPTER III. 

HAPPY THE MAN WHOSE HOPES RELY 
ON ISRAEL'S GOD; HE MADE THE SKY, ' 

THE EARTH AND SEA, WITH ALL THEIR TRAIN ; 
HIS TRUTH FOREVER STANDS SECURE, 
HE SAVES THE OPPRESSED, HE FEEDS THE POOR ; 

AND NONE SHALL FIND HIS PROMISE VAIN. 

DR. WATTS (PARAPHRASE). 

PROYIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AND CARE. 

Lsr one of the many closely-written books 
which Mr. Reeves has left behind him, he 
has recorded " the especial and particular 
providence of his ever-blessed God and 
Father." He narrates that in early youth 
he had " a strong and covetous desire to 
become rich," but praises the goodness of 
the Lord who would never permit him " to 
have a god of silver and gold." When he 
was convinced of sin he besought the Lord 
" to give him neither poverty nor riches, 
but his pardoning love ; to give him bread 
and water with the love of Jesus ;" and 
then he vowed " to devote all his life to 
the glory of God." The Lord pardoned 
his sins, and added the moderate but suf- 



PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AND CARE. 25 

ficient comforts which a mechanic could 
command. 

Mr. Reeves probably never earned more 
than forty shillings per week — in most of 
his best days rarely more than thirty-five ; 
yet he always maintained a comfortable 
though frugal home ; always sustained ac- 
cording to his ability the institutions of 
Methodism; saved a trifle for old age; 
and late in life records rejoicingly, "that 
the Lord blessed him in soul and body, in 
basket and in store," and " had indeed led 
him into green pastures, and beside still 
waters, and had given him all he required." 

This is strong language for a journeyman 
coachmaker, who, at the time it was writ- 
ten, was not able, from advanced age and 
other causes, to earn twenty shillings a 
week; who had infirm health, a wife to 
maintain, and many claims on his charity 
from the sick he delighted to visit : but, 
strong as it is, it was felt. 

For twenty-seven years, from 1814 to 
1841, he was employed on the same pre- 
mises, and by one family. This he deem- 
ed a great blessing, and daily during that 



26 FATHER REEVES. 

long period did he seek one particular spot 
in the yard, where, tinder shelter of some 
planks leaning against each other, he pour- 
ed out his soul in earnest prayer for him- 
self, his wife, his class, the sick, the Church, 
and the world, never forgetting his master 
and his family. 

The following note from the son of his 
respected employer is a testimony to his 
worth : — 

" Lambeth, November 27, 1852. 

"Dear Sir,- — In reply to your note, I 
have personally known Mr. Reeves for 
upwards of twenty years. I have, while 
learning my business, worked in the same 
shop with him. He worked for my father 
before I was born, and for my father's 
brother and self altogether twenty-seven 
years. I have under these circumstances 
known him intimately, known him in his 
every-day life, and sometimes under trying 
and provoking circumstances, yet I never 
once knew him to forget his obligations as 
a Christian. He was universally respect- 
ed by his shopmates ; and although it fre- 
quently happened that some would revile 



PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AND CARE. 27 

and make a mock at his religion, yet, as 
they were longer acquainted with him, 
they were bound to respect and honour 
his consistent character. It has never been 
my lot to meet with a more truly humble, 
consistent, zealous Christian, in my life. 
" I am, dear sir, yours truly, 

" Henry Heffer." 

A few years after the appointment of 
Mr. Reeves as a leader, his classes were 
largely increased: then came a time of 
trial. 

He found that working " from six o'clock 
in the morning to eight at night," left his 
"time to visit the sick and the absent 
members too short." He felt called upon 
to make sacrifices : his faith in God's pro- 
mises was put to the test, for to secure the 
time he required he must give up six to 
seven shillings per week. But by faith in 
God and from love to souls he did it : here 
is his own account of the conflict and the 
triumph : — 

"I felt it my duty to sacrifice much 
more of my time for the Lord, to look after 



28 FATHER REEVES. 

the little flock, so that they be not lost or 
wander back; and now the enemy and 
carnal reason (who ever stand united to 
prevent if possible any of God's dear chil- 
dren, however mean, from doing the will 
of their heavenly Father) began to set me 
a reasoning thus : ' Why, you will soon be- 
gin to grow old, you are now much afflict- 
ed in body, your club is broken up, and it 
is sinful not to provide for your own house- 
hold before sickness and old age ; and you 
know it would be a grief to your mind as 
long as you live to be a burden to the 
Church of Christ ; and besides, six or seven 
shillings is a large sum to sacrifice ; and 
your Christian friends will think you have 
been a very lazy man.' These, and a great 
number of such like vain thoughts flowed 
into my mind for several days ; but I took 
them all into my closet, and, like Hezekiah, 
I spread them before my heavenly Father, 
and prayed him to make his blessed will 
known to me, and by the strength of di- 
vine grace enable me to do it. 

"And, glory be to God, who is ever 
standing ready to hear a poor sinner's 



PKOVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AND CAJiE. 29 

prayer, lie soon made his will known to 
me by the power of his Holy Spirit con- 
vincing poor sinners of sin, and manifest- 
ing to them his pardoning love when I 
went to visit the sick ; and so he increased 
the number of our classes. Thus I went 
on trusting in the mercy of the Lord Jesus 
for about twenty years." 

A poor mechanic sacrificing six to seven 
shillings per week that he might give the 
time to the Lord, is an act of faith and de- 
votion rarely performed, and is worthy the 
consideration of men of superior social po- 
sition, who will willingly give a subscrip- 
tion to a benevolent object, in order to do 
good by proxy, but who shun personal 
service. " Obedience is better than sacri- 
fice ;" a subscription costs a rich man lit- 
tle, and it is not clear from Scripture that 
anything short of personal devotion to the 
cause of God will be accepted by Him who 
has said, " Occupy till I come." 

After Mr. Keeves's employer died, the 
business was curtailed, so that for many 
months our friend had but little work ; he 
felt himself feeble, and could not stand to 



30 FATHER REEVES. 

do a whole day's labour. These were 
trials, but providence appeared. A be- 
loved friend, hearing of his position, invited 
him to his house, talked of his circum- 
stances, and, with two others like-minded, 
arranged to pay his rent quarterly. 

This was needed, for his earnings after 
1840 appear to have been very small — 
considerably under twenty shillings per 
week ; and in 1846, they had diminished 
to £36 8s. 8d. ; in 1847, they were reduced 
to £21 8s. lid. ; in 1848, they only came 
to £8 2s. 2d. ; and at the close of the last 
year's accounts, he adds, — 

" Received the last fruits of my hands' 
labour in this world, of Mr. John Baker, 
a coachmaker, when I was past seventy 
years of age. O that I may at last be able 
to say, • I cease at once to work and live.' 
Lord, help me. ¥m. Reeves." 

In another place he says, " I commenced 
working at six years old, and by the mercy 
of God I was able to work hard till I was 
seventy." 






PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AND CARE. 31 

His small stock of savings was diminish- 
ing ; but in 1845, another dear friend, who 
went before Mr. Reeves to heaven, saw a 
placard stating that a vacancy had occur- 
red among the pensioners on the Walcot 
Charity ; and finding Mr. Reeves entitled 
to become a claimant on this fund, pro- 
vided for parishioners of Lambeth, by an 
act of piety in olden time, he, with others, 
moved the trustees to place Mr. Reeves 
on the list of pensioners, and thus £16 16s. 
a year were secured for life. 

For this, dear Father Reeves was full 
of gratitude to God and his friends. " It 
is the Lord's doing," he writes, " and it is 
marvellous in my eyes, who am not worthy 
of the least of all his mercies, and yet the 
Lord thought of a poor sinner, when I 
never thought of or expected either of 
these unspeakable benefits and blessings. 
Now I am old and very feeble, being full 
of bodily pain ; so here I prove the Lord 
is a faithful God of love. He hath said, 
' Seek ye first the kingdom of God and 
his righteousness, and all these things shall 
be added unto you. 5 O, how much better 



32 FATHER REEVES. 

and sweeter is all this than thousands of 
pounds of gold and silver laid up in store, 
and then to get lazy, and not have one 
desire or one hour's time in the day to 
visit, in Jesus, the hungry, the stranger, 
the naked, the sick, and the thirsty ! 

* When all thy mercies, my God, 

My rising soul surveys, 
Transported with the view I 'm lost 

In wonder, love, and praise/ " 

" And now," added the good old man, " I 
have been thanking my heavenly Father 
for the gifts of his special and particular 
providence bestowed on me ; and it just 
occurs to my mind, I have left off where 
I ought to have begun- — ' Thanks be unto 
God for his unspeakable gift,' 2 Cor. 
ix, 15 ; and thanks be to my blessed Jesus, 
' who loved me and gave himself for me.' 
Gal. ii, 20. 

' I thank thee, uncreated Sun, 

That thy bright beams on me have shined ; 

I thank thee, who hast overthrown 

My foes, and heaFd my wounded mind ; 

I thank thee whose enlivening voice 

Bids my freed heart in thee rejoice. ' n 



RELIGION OF RELATIVES SOUGHT. 33 



CHAPTER IV. 

A SINNER, SAVED MYSELF FROM SIN, 
1 COME MY FAMILY TO WIN, 

TO PREACH THEIR SINS FORGIVEN J 
CHILDREN AND WIFE, AND SERVANTS SEIZE, 
AND THROUGH THE PATHS OF PLEASANTNESS, 

CONDUCT THEM ALL TO HEAVEN. — C. WESLEY. 

THE RELIGION OE RELATIVES SOUGHT. 

Ln his own account it has been seen that 
no sooner was Mr. Reeves effectually 
convinced of sin, than he faithfully ad- 
monished his dear wife. He prayed and 
wept alone ; she derided his fears and 
troubles ; then with true devotion to his 
duty, he prayed " with her" — in her pres- 
ence and aloud ; and soon her heart was 
touched. She lived to witness a good con- 
fession, and died happy in the Lord. In 
the morning on which she experienced 
the attack of illness which proved fatal, 
Mr. Reeves was so abundantly and pecu- 
liarly blessed at the throne of grace, that 
he was led to cry out, " Lord, what doth 
all this mean ? If thou art about to bring 
me into the furnace, help me to glorify 
3 



34 FATHER REEVES. 

thy most holy name ;" and then he en- 
tered into solemn covenant with the Lord 
" to give body and soul afresh to him 
through Jesus Christ." 

He came home to dinner : the devoted 
husband and wife knelt in prayer to- 
gether, according to their daily habit. 
Mr. Reeves had just uttered the words, 
" O blessed Lord, prepare us for a linger- 
ing sickness or for sudden death, but pre- 
pare us for thyself" — -and had scarcely 
more than risen from his knees, when his 
wife fell into his arms in a fit of apoplexy. 

She partially recovered, testified for 
many days her trust, confidence, and joy in 
the Lord ; and on November 11th, 1826, 
while her husband was praying by her 
side, she sweetly slept " in Jesus." 

Next to his wife, Mr. Reeves's concern 
was for his dear parents : these he en- 
treated, with filial reverence, to embrace 
the Saviour; and his prayers for them 
were happily, answered. He records that 
u on January 24th, 1823, my dear and 
much-beloved, and the best of all parents, 
departed this life, aged seventy-two years ;" 



RELIGION OF RELATIVES SOUGHT. 35 

and he blesses God's holy name " for the 
good hope he has that his dear mother is 
now in glory." 

One of his earliest books has " a few 
plain and short remarks of dear mother's 
conversion." She came to town in July, 
1813, her soul filled with grief on account 
of her sin, and determined, if possible, " to 
know if she were in the right way or not ;" 
and her son seems to have been honoured 
as the instrument in the Lord's hands in 
leading her to accept " a present salva- 
tion," to the joy of her soul. 

In 1823, Mr. Reeves's aged father en- 
tered into the enjoyment of God's forgiving 
love at the age of eighty-two : our departed 
friend rejoices to enter in one of his books, 
"Thou hast set my aged father's soul at 
liberty ; thou hast answered my prayers — 
he is now joined to thy Church below; 
also a brother and sister; so that, glory 
be to thy dear name ! I have now an aged 
father, a dear wife, two brothers, and a 
sister, that love thy name. I pray that 
thou would est keep them faithful unto 
death." 



36 FATHER REEVES. 

At the advanced age of eighty-six, Mr. 
Reeves's father died rejoicing in Christ; 
and even when his voice failed, he cheered 
his family by signs indicating his happi- 
ness and hope. 

Mr. Reeves was married a second time 
in 1827, to an exemplary and useful mem- 
ber of the society at Lambeth, and she 
survives to cherish the memory of one 
who ever hallowed his home by the ad- 
mirable consistency of his Christian course. 

Next to his family, our dear friend 
sought to win all the members of his classes 
to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He 
had no children; but he rejoiced in his 
members as his family, and numbers of 
them recognised him as their father in the 
Lord. 



PKAYER-MEETINGS. 37 



CHAPTER V. 

FREE SERVICE FROM. THE HEART IS ALL IN ALL TO HEAVEN. 

FELICIA HEMANS 
GO VISIT THOU, IN THEIR DISTRESS, 
THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS. — J. MONTGOMERY. 

PRAYER-MEETINGS AND STRANGERS' FRIEND SOCIETY. 

No sooner did Mr. Reeves find true re- 
ligion, than, as he himself has recorded, he 
began to try to do good to others; and 
greatly did he rejoice when the Society 
with which he had connected himself 
found him employment as a prayer- 
leader. 

The Sunday evening prayer-meetings 
were arranged by plan in April, 1809. 
"One of the first places used," says 
brother Reeves, " was the Sunday-school in 
High-street, Lambeth ; another, tjie house 
of Mr. Nash, sen., Fore-street ; another, 
brother Cook's, Lambeth Walk ; and an- 
other, brother Slatter's, Walnut-Tree Walk, 
when there were only two or three houses 
built, and walnut-trees were growing !" 



38 PATHBE ivi:i:\ i >. 

For many a long year these walnut- 
trees have only existed in the memory el' 
very old inhabitants; but the breath of 
prayer and praise which stirred their 
leaves reached heaven, and blessings in 
answer have come down on the family 
that opened their house, and the society 
that sent out the praying men. 

kk But," adds brother Reeves, "let it 
never be forgotten that Walworth, South- 
ville, Yauxhall, and Broadvrall chapels, 
all date their origin from the Sunday 
evening prayer-meetings in little rooms. 
To this 1 am a witness, having had the 
honour fco be present at the opening of 
each place." 

Why are these house prayer-meet ings so 
little regarded now ( and why are the ser- 
vices in our chapels so protracted as to 
render it inconvenient at so late an hour 
to go h* an appointment I Surely the 
present population of our large towns are 
not much more easily brought to the 
house of Gk>d than our fathers were. If 

The Society have HOW removed to Waterloo Head 
Chapel. 






PHA Y ER-MEETING 8. 39 

there is not the same opposition to religion 
that there was fifty years ago, there is 
something quite as formidable to its pro- 
gress, viz., the spirit of indifference. If 
our neighbours will not be attracted when 
we build a chapel, we must remember our 
duty, and, from house to house, convey an 
invitation to the public worship of God ; 
and if our chapel prayer-meetings fail to 
bring the dwellers in the back streets to 
their knees, we must go among them, 
get some one in the fear of the Lord to 
open his house, and carry the prayer-meet- 
ing to them. 

Father Reeves delighted in this service : 
he was the treasurer to the prayer-leaders' 
meeting, and as such presided among 
them. One of his associates says : " His 
advice to the prayer-leaders was affection- 
ate, faithful, and practical, especially to 
newly-appointed members. He used earn- 
estly to exhort them to cultivate their 
minds by a diligent study of the word of 
God in the spirit of devotion, in order 
that the language used in jprayer should 
he in accordance with divine truth. On 



40 FATHER REEVES. 

no account would lie sanction the use of 
any hymns that were not found in our own 
collection." 

This conduct of brother Reeves did not 
arise from bigotry ; though he' knew noth- 
ing better than the Methodism which he 
loved, and nothing richer than the expe- 
rience of the Wesleyan hymns, his en- 
deavours were mainly to repress certain 
extravagances, both in tune and words, in 
which many zealous people are too apt to 
indulge. 

In one of his papers, brother Reeves 
writes : " O, how I wish all my dear breth- 
ren, the Sunday evening prayer-leaders, 
would learn to sing." Col. iii. 16. 

He read his Bible with scrupulous at- 
tention, and seemed to prefer comparison 
of one Scripture with another, to the 
search of commentaries. He did not, at 
all events, adopt any of the ordinary ex- 
planations of Matthew xxvi, 30, for he 



" O, what a pity it is that the precious 
hymn was ever lost which our blessed Lord 
Jesus Christ sang with his disciples at his 



PRAYER-MEETINGS. 41 

last supper! O liow I should have re- 
joiced to have heard it! I think I should 
have learned the tune. I think this hymn 
of Mr. Wesley's suits me now in its stead, 
—Hymn 28, page 32." 

Until advancing years and failing health 
obliged him to desist, Father Reeves was 
the regular attendant of the Sunday morn- 
ing prayer-meeting, at 7 o'clock. Thus he 
began the service of the Sabbath rejoic- 
ingly ; and up to the time of his death he 
was the invariable attendant on the Satur- 
day evening prayer-meeting; and then, 
this good man, without one single educa- 
tional advantage, would often on his knees 
pour forth such a rich strain of holy praise, 
such a full tide of earnest believing prayer, 
that at times, both for sublimity of thought 
and beauty of diction, he equalled the un- 
surpassable liturgy of the English Church. 

There were of course frequent occasions 
when brother Reeves seemed more left to 
himself, and his ideas struggled to find 
suitable language in which to clothe them- 
selves; but even then grammatical and 
other mistakes were lost or disregarded be- 



42 FATHER REEVES. 

cause of the atmosphere of devotion which 
ever surrounded this favoured suppliant of 
the throne of grace. 

The reason of his power in prayer, apart 
from the spirit of faith and devotion, arose 
from his intimate knowledge of Holy 
Scripture, and his thorough acquaintance 
with Wesley's Hymns. 

In losing this exemplary man, numbers 
at Lambeth have lost an invaluable friend. 
Of " silver and gold" he had indeed little 
to give, but such as he had was more valu- 
able to many than the riches of a gold- 
mine. His prayers bore the case of many 
an afflicted, many a tempted friend to the 
footstool of mercy ; and numbers of us 
have doubtless had happier moments, and 
have been more useful in our efforts at 
Lambeth, than we should have been but 
for his powerful pleadings on our behalf. 
u Help Lord ! for the godly man ceaseth, 
and the faithful fail from the children of 
men!" It is not a slight loss to lose a 
praying friend. 

But brother Eeeves was not only " in- 
stant in prayer," but indefatigable in work ; 



STRANGERS' FRIEND SOCIETY. 43 

and in visiting the sick he took an especial 
pleasure. He sympathized with suffering, 
but his desire was to turn this to profitable 
account; he remembered the order in 
which the psalmist placed human mala- 
dies, spiritual first, bodily afterwards, — 
" Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who 
healeth all thy diseases;" and while he 
pitied physical suffering, he pitied the un- 
saved but immortal spirit more. 

The Strangers' Friend Society, which 
he early joined, and which he only left, it 
is believed, because of the amount of work 
which large classes imposed on their leader, 
afforded him an opportunity for usefulness 
he gladly embraced ; he returned to this 
employment when he was relieved of two 
of his classes, and continued a visitor to the 
day of his death. In one of his books 
there is a list, entitled " Several cases that 
have been made happy in God, through 
the Strangers' Friend Society;" then fol- 
low names, addresses, and the places of 
worship to which the parties attached 
themselves when they became well. 

Systematic in the arrangement of his 



44 



FATHER REEVES. 



time, lie devoted Monday in each week to 
the visitation of his cases from the Stran- 
gers' Friend Society. The Monday previ- 
ous to his decease was a day of incessant 
rain and wind, such as would have deter- 
red many a young and hardy man from 
going out — but out Father Reeves went, 
visiting the sick ; and when, having taken 
cold in consequence, he was remonstrated 
with by a younger man, he merely re- 
marked " it was his day for sick visiting, 
and if he did not go then, it would disar- 
range his plans for the next day." 

On the last day of his life he pursued 
this loved employment, and realized his 
own desire — -he " ceased at once to work 
and live." 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 45 



CHAPTER VI. 

AND FIRST HE TAUGHT THEM TO RESPECT THEMSELVES, 
AND THEN WITH GOODNESS LURED THEM ON TO VIRTUE J 
HE HATED SIN, BUT THE POOR OUTCAST SINNER 
WAS STILL HIS HUMAN BROTHER. THIS WAS GOODNESS, 
AND THIS WAS GREATNESS TOO. — MARY HOWITT. 

AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 

Unconsciously to himself, brother Reeves 
was led, directly after his conversion, to a 
course of preparation for the office in which 
he was best known and preeminently use- 
ful — that of a Methodist class-leader. 

The prayer-meeting gave scope for his 
spirit of intercession ; the Strangers' Friend 
Society, to his sympathy with the spiritual 
and temporal necessities of the afflicted ; 
and, in order that he might talk effectively 
about salvation to persons either sick or 
well, he committed multitudes of select 
passages of Holy Scripture to memory. 
A little book, apparently begun in the 
very month of his conversion, is nearly 
filled with texts, and references to texts of 
Scripture, with this remark inserted at a 



46 



FATHER REEVES. 



later period: "This was the first book I 
began to write, after the ever-blessed Lord 
convinced me of sin ; and most of these 
texts of Scripture I got by heart, to talk 
to poor sinners about. O, what a blessing 
it has been to me through life !" 

On December 3, 1818, ten years after 
he became a member, he undertook, by 
appointment of the leaders' meeting, the 
charge of a class. It was not without fear 
on the part of some that he was placed in 
the position of a teacher and a guide, and 
the vote of the meeting in his favour was 
scarcely unanimous ; his moral excellences 
were undoubted, but his educational defi- 
ciencies were at that time many. 

But none trembled for his success more 
than he did himself. He had no self-con- 
fidence ; his troubles led him always to his 
knees and the Holy Bible, and he obtain- 
ed such qualifications from the Source of 
all good, that few of those he gathered 
into society "were able to resist the 
wisdom and the spirit with which he 
spake." 

There were no class-books in 1818 ; his 






AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 47 

members' names were entered on a class- 
paper; they numbered fourteen. From 
1820 the whole of his class-books are pre- 
served, and evidence an amount of atten- 
tion to the duties of leadership such as few 
have ever equalled, and, it is confidently 
believed these pages will show, none have 
surpassed. 

He was very soon the leader of two 
classes, one on Sunday afternoon, the other 
on the week day ; and as early as 1822 his 
numbers had grown so large that the first 
class was divided. 

This class remained ever after a very 
large one ; though repeatedly divided, yet 
it constantly grew. It was admirably 
trained ; and in late years, out of eighty 
members on the books at one time, more 
than seventy have been known to present 
themselves for their quarterly tickets ; and 
the preacher has had especial aptitude for 
his work, who could, commencing with the 
leader at two o'clock, speak appropriately, 
from him to the last member, and conclude 
at half-past four. 

In 1830, in addition to the Sunday and 



48 FATHER REEVES. 

"Wednesday classes, he commenced one on 
Friday evening. 

In 1833 he gave up for a short time 
his Wednesday class ; but not finding work 
enough, and knowing poor sinners willing 
to accept an invitation, he commenced an- 
other on Sunday evenings, in July, 1834. 
Three months after, he had his Wednesday 
class again, and met the whole four for 
four years. 

In 1838, however, he found the toil of 
four classes too much, and he relinquished 
the last formed to another leader. He 
continued to lead three classes until 1847. 

How he loved those to whom he had 
ministered in spiritual things, and with 
what pain he parted from them, may be 
gathered from the following extract :• — ■ 

" October 22, 1826. I divided my Sun- 
day class ; it was a tearing asunder, indeed, 
and that to every one. I cannot forget 
my feelings, when I saw their love one to 
another, and their grief at the thought of 
parting. They could not have overcome 
the trial if they had not seen the necessity 
for separation, for we were now fifty m 






AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 49 

number. O that God, whose they are, 
may increase them a thousand times in 
love and faith, and numbers, is the prayer 
of their unworthy servant. O that not 
one of them may be on the left hand 
when Jesus shall come to gather his saints 
into his glorious kingdom, nor rise up in 
judgment against me for my unfaithful- 
ness !" 

He then adds a list of the names of those 
" the Lord parted ; I say the Lord, because 
they all volunteer." To the names he 
adds a description of their spiritual state, 
and the time calculated, in years and 
months, that each had met with him. 

Again, in 1847, he writes: "I have of 
late had much painful affliction, so that 
my body is become very feeble. I now 
find I am no longer able to do justice to 
all my classes, to meet them and visit 
them all as I have done, having now one 
hundred and sixty members. Now comes 
the trial — to give up one class. This has 
been a hard struggle, to part from those 
for whom I have wrestled and prayed till 
Christ was formed in their hearts the hope 
4 



50 FATHER REEVES. 

of glory ; and then, we have rejoiced to- 
gether so many years. And now which of 
the three classes must I give up ? My 
Sunday class is the first to which I believe 
the Lord appointed me ; therefore I could 
not think of giving that up. The next is 
the Wednesday class, but that was my 
first-born taken from my Sunday class ; 
then how can I do this ? my nature shrinks 
and cries, ' How shall I give thee up ? ' 
The only one that is left is the Friday 
class, the son of my old age, and therefore 
I cannot, no, I cannot give up that. And 
now I had to go again to my heavenly 
Father in secret, and wrestle for an in- 
crease of faith and wisdom to know His 
blessed will, and then it should be mine." 
To gain sufficient strength between the 
labours of Sunday and Friday, the Wed- 
nesday class was now finally relinquished, 
with this quotation : — 

" Since 't is Thy sentence I should part 

With what was nearest to my heart, 

I freely that and more resign : 

Behold, my heart itself is thine. 

My little all I give to thee, 

Thou hast bestow'd thy Son on me." 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 51 

The Sunday afternoon and the Friday 
evening classes were regularly met by Fa- 
ther Reeves until his decease. 

For several years a list was regularly kept 
under the following head :< — •" A memoran- 
dum, to know what becomes of my mem- 
bers." These papers give the names, dates 
of entrance, indicate whether the persons 
were new members, or backsliders, whether 
from other classes or from other circuits, 
when received, the religious state when re- 
moved, the reason for their removal, and 
the date. A specimen or two is subj oined : 



1819. 




State. 


March. 


J. s. 


From another class. 





Removed to another 
Class nearer home, 
December, 1822. 


June. 


T.M. 


Do. 





Removed when Class 
was divided, Octo- 
ber, 1822. 


Sept. 


J. W\ 


From another Circnit. 





Died very happy in 
the Lord, May 11, 
1823. 


Dec. 

1820. 


R. S. 


A new Member. 


a 


Drawn back, over- 
come by the world, 
July, 1821. 


June. 


E. B. 


A Backslider restored. 




Removed to a week- 
day Class. 




H. S. 


A new Member. 




Left us and went to 
the Tent Preachers, 
January, 1822. 


M 


A.H. 


Do. 


1 


Expelled for break- 
ing the Sabbath, 
'August. 1844. 



52 FATHER REEVES. 

In a similar list, a few years later, is 
the following : — 

1824. 

June. Saml. D. Waddy. From another Class. After meet- 
ing with me 16 months, left to become a Travelling Preacher, 
November, 1825. 

The following papers will show brother 
Reeves's care for his flock, and the honour 
his Lord and Master put upon him : — 

" December, 1832. — The number of those 
who have been convinced of sin, those who 
have been converted, the backsliders re- 
stored, and the happy deaths, in my three 
classes this last year : — 

Convinced of sin 60 

Found peace 40 

Backsliders recovered 6 

Happy deaths 2 

and many now enj oy perfect love. Among 
the happy number of those who have found 
peace, are these three strangers, — Hes- 
sundne Ilbesume,* from Egypt ; his name 
signifieth ' Comely and mighty :' the next 

Q This young man, sent for scientific education to 
this country by Mehemet Ali, was subsequently bap- 
tized at Portsmouth, in the name of John Wesley 
Clarke. 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 53 

is a black from the borders of China, John 
Robson : and the third stranger is a woman 
from Tilston. 

" Another stranger from Egypt is only 
convinced of sin ; his name is Goudin Shaf- 
fee, which signifieth ' Intercessor.' " 

Brother Reeves records it as a privilege 
that he had always occupied the same sit- 
ting in the chapel. Here, during service, 
none was more devout than he : but at 
the close of the sermon, who among his 
fellow-worshippers does not remember how 
quickly the spectacles were mounted ; how 
soon the good little old man was up ; and 
how, during the announcement and the 
singing of the last hymn, (while he shared 
his hymn-book with his dear wife,) his 
active eyes would scan the neighbouring 
pews, but especially the free-seats, to see 
whose moistened eye gave evidence that 
the heart was touched ? Many times and 
oft, the service over, was the good man 
found planted just in the right place, be- 
side some poor broken-hearted sinner, beg- 
ging him to come to class. 

Perhaps no Sunday ever passed, scarcely 



54 FATHER REEVES. 

a public prayer-meeting went by, that 
brother Reeves did not urge one, frequently 
many, to embrace the Saviour's proffered 
mercy, and join in Christian communion 
with those who were the professed disci- 
ples of the cross. 

And this he did like everything else, 
systematically ; a copy of the Rules of the 
Society is thus supplemented evidently for 
distribution. 

" The time and places where my classes 
meet : — 

" 1. — Sunday afternoon, at half-past two o'clock. 

Free-seats, Lambeth chapel. 
" 2. — Sunday evening after preaching, in the same 

place. 
" 3. — Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock, in the 

lower vestry. 
" 4. — Friday evening, at the same time and place. 

44 Wm. Reeves." 

At another period of his life our friend 
had a card printed, to advertise his classes 
just as another man would his trade; it 
was brother Reeves's business to get men 

° Altered to two when the class grew larger. 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 55 

out of the world and lead them to heaven. 
It made the announcement thus — 

WILLIAM REEVES, 

No. 25 UNION-STREET, LAMBETH-WALK, 

LEADER TO TWO CLASSES WHICH MEET AT THE TIME AND 

PL-ICE AS UNDER, ETC., ETC. 

And on the back of this card was written, 
" Come thou with us, and we will do thee 
good ; for the Lord hath spoken good con- 
cerning Israel." Numbers x, 29. 

In 1850 the Rev. John Hall wrote a 
paper entitled, " An invitation to Church- 
membership." Brother Reeves at once 
secured a number, and turned them to 
practical account, by causing his classes 
and the time and place of meeting to be 
notified in writing on the back, adding 
" and we shall be happy to see you." 

Sometimes persons in search of good 
wished to remove from other classes to his : 
over such applications he w T atched with 
jealousy, and one of his entries runs 
thus — " It may appear as though I robbed 
other classes, but five of these had strayed." 

His talent for the acquisition of new 



56 FATHER REEVES. 

members was considerable, and persever- 
ingly employed; lie deemed it almost es- 
sential to the life and spiritual health of a 
class that penitents should be constantly 
brought in. Sometimes it was thought 
that he ought to recommend fresh mem- 
bers to other classes than his own ; when 
this thought found expression, he noted it, 
and in one of his papers is this answer : — 
"I have long thought I have been a 
strange and peculiar being, and thereby 
fear I have often grieved some of my 
dearest and best beloved friends at Lam- 
beth, but not designedly and willingly. I 
mean, because I continue to invite and 
strive to get so many persons to join my 
classes, and am not so willing as they 
could wish to give them up to others. 
This is not because I think myself the 
best teacher, or a better leader than my 
dear brethren ; no, for I have often thought 
that this ought to be written on the front 
of every one of my class-books, i A pre- 
paratory Class-Leader.' 1 Sam. ix, 21. 
But ever since I have had the unspeakable 
honour of being a Methodist class-leader, 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 57 

(though so unworthy,) I have invariably 
proved that only whilst I am adding to 
my heavenly graces, I am kept alive and 
growing ; so I daily prove that only while 
I am getting new members to my classes 
we keep alive the old members. I mean 
here that spiritual life which our blessed 
Saviour came to bestow. 

"Now new members being the means 
to bring or to keep this life, therefore not 
to strive to get new members would be to 
depress this life ; and to send them away 
would be to give up this life as far as it 
concerned our classes. 

" I feel the force of these words, and I 
think I may apply them to this case with- 
out doing violence to the blessed word of 
God, — •' He that gathereth by labour shall 
increase.' Prov. xiii, 11. Matt, xiii, 12 ; 
xxv, 29 ; Psa. cxv, 14. Glory be to God, 
I still find these are the means." 

And dear Father Peeves inoculated his 
members with the same spirit. An esti- 
mable female friend, a member of the 
Sunday class, thus writes : — 

" He was greatly beloved by his class, 



58 FATHER REEVES. 






had most unbounded influence over his 
' dear children,' and was always successful 
in securing their cooperation to help for- 
ward the ark of the Lord. 

" He had strong faith in the power and 
willingness of God to save the world, and 
therefore his mind was on the stretch for 
accessions to the Church of Christ. This 
feeling would sometimes carry him beyond 
what might seem prudent to many, for he 
would occasionally introduce those to the 
class in whom there appeared little promise. 

"They were not intended to be a dead 
weight, or brought in merely to swell the 
numbers — this he could not have endured ; 
but he had most entire confidence in that 
Scripture, f If two of you shall agree on 
earth as touching anything they shall ask, 
it shall be done for them of my Father 
which is in heaven ;' and if he could entice 
£ a dear friend' into his ' beloved class' he 
conceived he should there have influence 
and strength for the accomplishment of 
his wishes, and seldom were his large ex- 
pectations disappointed. 

" He would stimulate and encourage us 






AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS, 59 

with a zeal surprising, and when some 
victories were gained, would congratulate 
most heartily the i dear people' whom God 
had so honoured; wondering much that 
so ' unfaithful and unworthy an individual 
should be allowed the privilege of sharing 
such happiness.' 

" As he knew no cessation from constant 
arduous labour, so he longed for us to par- 
take of the same spirit, and plenty of 
work he always found us in the exercise 
of faith and love. There were ' penitents 
he wanted his dear friends to help into 
liberty;' 'the backslider whom he was 
sure we all mourned over ;' or ' some dear 
brother or sister afflicted or peculiarly tried 
needing our especial intercession ;' and he 
would pour out fervent supplication for 
the Holy Spirit's anointing, that we might 
be united together in love. Nor would 
he work on our sympathy alone, but would 
excite our emulation. ' While he was look- 
ing out for new members, could not each 
try and get one during the quarter ?' " 

Another friend writes : " I think it must 
have been about the year 1834 that my 



C)0 FATHEB BEEVES, 

acquaintance with the deceased grew to 
an intimacy. My presence at week night 
preaching, and the Saturday evening 
prayer-meeting, attracted his attention. 
He would intercept my departure from 
the chapel, or vestry ; Hie aisle, pew, form, 
or door-way were the points of contact. 
The expediency of meeting in class had 
not presented itself forcibly to my mind, 
and a repugnance io such a step was for a 
period decisive. His grand object, my 
personal salvation, appeared io him more 
certain it' external communion were se- 
cured. With patient love, unwearied dili- 
gence, and great forbearance, in season 
and (I often then thought) out oi^ season, 
did he invite, reason with, and exhort me 
to that decisive point. 

kk It was in his mind a demonstrated fact, 
that the turning point of moral and religi- 
ons history would be found just at that 
juncture where resolve was taken for vis- 
ible Church union or the converse. It was 
this that caused him \o esteem the class- 
meeting oi' the highest value; here, he 
would observe, k an individual draws the 



AS A CLASS-LEADER SEEKING MEMBERS. 61 

line of demarcation between 'the world 
and his adopted choice. He makes a new 
election of friends, pursuits, and interests. 
In Christ's Church he will find every solid 
pleasure and permanent happiness." 5 

Thus did Father Reeves labour to get 
men to join the Church of Christ, and so 
truly did he enjoy the meetings of his 
flock, that never would he accept an invi- 
tation to any, even the most agreeable and 
profitable company, at the class hour; 
never was he absent except when in the 
country, or confined by sickness at home, 
and these occasions were extremely rare. 



62 FATHEE BEEVES. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THEN THEY THAT FEARED THE LOED SPAKE OFTEN ONE TO AN- 
OTHER, malachi iii, 16. 
THE LIPS OF THE RIGHTEOUS FEED MANY. PROVERBS X, 21. 

HOW HE LED A CLASS. 

Father Reeves was never known to be 
late at any religious service,* never be- 
hind time at his class. 

"A leader," he held, " should be the 
first and the last in the class-room ;" and, 
says one who met with him, " memory 
cannot recall, through a period of several 
years, a solitary deviation from this prac- 
tice. At the close of the meeting he took 
his position at the doorway, grasped each 
member's hand in turn, while sententious- 
ly asking the divine blessing upon them. 

Only one exception is remembered to this remark, 
— once he was late at a prayer-meeting, he was de- 
tained while visiting a sick case : once he came just 
at two o'clock to his class, he had stopped a few 
minutes on the road talking to a poor backslider. 
This is the only instance reported in which our de- 
parted friend was not before time at his class. 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 63 

Grouping or gathering in little knots for 
supplementary conversation, was to him 
most objectionable, and never allowed by 
him to gather strength. He thought the 
practice possessed the germ of many 
evils." 

Imagine, good reader, a little old man, 
about five feet four inches high, with a 
compact well-knit frame, slightly bald, a 
tolerably high but rather narrow forehead, 
prominent cheekbones, small but expres- 
sive features, standing on one of the free- 
seats of Lambeth chapel on a Sunday af- 
ternoon. He has mounted his spectacles, 
the hymn-book is opened; he has just re- 
ferred to his watch, the hand indicates the 
hour of two; the large majority of his 
members are present — they have learned 
by example to be punctual and regular ; 
and now, with a sharp, clear voice, he says, 
" Let us begin the solemn worship of Al- 
mighty God." He pitches the tune, and 
all are encouraged to try to sing. His 
hymns are carefully selected beforehand ; 
not a moment is lost — time is too precious 
to be wasted, for sixty or seventy souls 



64 FATHER REEVES. 

have that afternoon to be warned or en- 
treated, wept over or rejoiced with, accord- 
ing to their varied states of religious ex- 
perience. His prayer is brief, but earnest ; 
he knows his members intimately, it is 
therefore suitable. Still standing, his own 
experience (very nearly in the terms of 
Scripture, aided, perhaps, by a line or two 
from the hymn-book) is related. Then 
pertinent questions, such as none can ask 
twice by accident, and happily chosen, 
condensed Scriptural admonitions or en- 
couragements, follow rapidly, but without 
haste. 

" It has often been matter of surprise," 
says the female friend before quoted, " that 
he could manage so large a class, and do 
justice ; it was immense labour, certainly, 
but he knew his work, and, with much tact 
and skill, he always acquitted himself well. 
His soul held close and deep communion 
with his God; therefore bustle and hurry 
he could not endure. Serene, calm, and 
collected, with much fervour of spirit, and 
an abundance of material carefully ar- 
ranged in a well-disciplined mind, he could 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 65 

as well meet sixty members as six. Our 
meetings were always orderly and quiet, 
never dull. In some of our prayer-meet- 
ings, when rich blessings have been given, 
and many penitents set at liberty, there 
was no confusion." 

When his numbers were at their highest, 
before one of the later divisions of the Sun- 
day class, conversation had arisen in the 
Lambeth leaders' meeting respecting very 
large classes. Father Reeves did not al- 
ways defend his position on the instant as 
fully as he might have done ; but on this 
occasion, as on others, he went home, 
thought, and wrote. And here is the 
statement and defence : — 

" It has been said, at our leaders' 
meeting, and very reasonably too, when 
they consider the number of members, 
eighty, in my Sunday class, that it is im- 
possible the end of class-meeting can be 
answered. Now what is the end of class- 
meeting ? 

" 1. That the members may be instruct- 
ed to know their lost state by sin. 

" 2. That they may be led into a state 

5 



66 FATHER REEVES. 

of justification, by faith in the blood of 
Jesus, and feel the Spirit of adoption ena- 
bling them to cry ' Abba, Father,' without 
a doubt. 

" 3. That they may be led on to perfect 
love, to holiness of heart and life, till they 
are made meet for glory. 

" Now let me say to my beloved friends, 
and I do indeed say it ' as a fool,' let them 
take out of that class twenty members, 
whom they will, and compare them with 
any other twenty members from another 
class in Lambeth, and see if they do not 
come up to the above standard as fully as 
those who have been fed with the finest 
wheat, although we have been, like Daniel, 
and his three brethren, fed upon pulse." 

This was no empty boasting, nor does it 
evidence to those who knew the man any 
feeling contrary to humility ; but he loved 
his members, and was jealous of their 
honour. He felt deeply the responsibility 
of his position, and was not satisfied until 
each member could for himself prove from 
Scripture every doctrine he professed, and 
quote from Scripture the warrant for each 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 67 

promise on tlie fulfilment of which he re- 
lied. 

The brother who has had charge of this 
class since Father Reeves's decease, fully 
bears out the statement, that the members 
generally are well grounded in Scriptural 
proof of all our doctrines, and can give, in 
the terms of Scripture, a reason for the 
hope that is in them. No wonder: for 
their leader, fearful of conventional phrases, 
- — fearful of the commonplaces of Meth- 
odism being put instead of heartfelt ex- 
perience, adopted, some years ago, the 
plan — several times renewed — of setting 
apart a Sunday, on which every member 
should search for and read a text descrip- 
tive " of his or her own state or present 
experience." 

A paper, dated July, 1845, is evidently 
an address delivered to his classes at that 
time, on this subject; it expresses so well 
his reason for the practice alluded to, that 
it is inserted nearly at length. 

" For my classes, when each member is 
to read a text from the blessed word of 



68 FATHER REEVES. 

God which will truly and clearly express 
his or her own experience: and for this 
reason, because the hope of eternal life is 
not to be taken upon slight grounds ; it is 
a question to be settled between God and 
your own soul. I would not despise the 
advice, nor reject entirely the opinion of 
others ; but I would be careful not to trust 
too much to such advice and opinion, since 
you are to stand or fall by the word of God. 
It is to that, and that alone, you must re- 
fer for testimony. The advice and opinion 
of ministers and private Christians you will 
seek and respect, but you must not regard 
them as infallible, nor place your reliance 
on them. There is, in most persons, a 
strong tendency to lean upon the judgment 
of others, rather than to take the pains of 
severe and strict investigation for them- 
selves. You cannot be ignorant that such 
a course must be unsatisfactory and un- 
safe. How much better to go at once to 
the Bible : if we there find our character 
to be that of the saints who have gone be- 
fore us, what joy and assurance shall we 
have when we know we are standing on a 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 69 

Rock stable as eternity ! Therefore I hope 
you will feel more deeply the importance 
of settling the question over your Bible, 
between God and your own souls. 

u My very dear children, whom I dearly 
love in the Lord Jesus, permit me to say, 
'I am jealous over you with a godly jeal- 
ousy,' and 'I have no greater joy than to 
hear that my children walk in the truth.' 
Our ever blessed Saviour ever lives and 
prays for us, ' Sanctify them through Thy 
truth} Thy word is truth.' 

" The concern of many people is nothing 
more than an ignorant anxiety to be relig- 
ious ; they have scarcely one definite idea 
of what religion is : it is not mere excited 
feeling, as they suppose, but a clear and 
perfect knowledge of divine truth. 

" Our heavenly Father has encouraged 
us to bring with us words, and come before 
the Lord ; therefore I shall take this bless- 
ed part of his most holy word, which will 
fully and clearly express jny past and 
present experience, and, if faithful unto 
death, my everlasting salvation. Isaiah 
lxi, 10. When I speak in my class my 



70 FATHER REEVES. 

own experience, I have not found it enough 
to satisfy my soul, by saying, as many of 
our members do, ' us,' ' we,' ' they, 5 ' you ;' 
it is not ' we,' ' you,' i they,' and ' us,' but 
it is ' I] ' my] and * me? 

" Wm. Keeves." 

Sometimes, instead of having an ordi- 
nary class-meeting, he would hold a Bible- 
class, giving his members a month to pre- 
pare for the subject. 

His anxiety that his members should 
" search the Scriptures " is evidenced, not 
only by the above, but by numerous papers, 
evidently carefully prepared addresses to 
his classes on the subject; but as Father 
Reeves was ever at work among the poor, 
he frequently brought into society men of 
middle age, and old men, who knew not 
how to read. "What was to be done with 
them ? Might not they be left to hear the 
word of God from others, instead -of en- 
during the toil of learning to read it for 
themselves ? By no means. w We teach 
them," says this admirable leader, "by 
their children that were taught in the 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 71 

Sunday school, and we set apart a Sunday 
for them to read a portion of Holy Scrip- 
ture to us, to hear how they improve, and 
to stimulate others to learn." 

And thus many a new convert, but an 
old man, has evidenced the genuineness 
of the religious change wrought in him, 
by toiling through verse after verse, chap- 
ter after chapter, till he has been able to 
read before his class-mates the story of the 
cross. 

And then he turn'd unto the Book, 

And read in English plain, 
How Christ had died on Calvary, 

How he had risen again. 

And all his comfortable words, 

His deeds of mercy all, 
He read, and of the widow's son, 

And the poor prodigal. — Maky Howitt. 

The subjoined, rather lengthened but 
important extract, will show how he man- 
aged to turn such an occasion into a means 
of instruction. 

" Hymn 87, page 88, to commence the 
meeting. 

" We set apart this day (instead of meet- 



72 FATHER REEVES. 

ing the class in the ordinary manner) to 
read the sacred Scriptures ; and especially 
that those may read who did not know a 
letter when they began to meet in class ; 
but now, glory be to God, they can read 
any chapter in the New Testament well. 
We do this especially for the encourage- 
ment of those who are now meeting with 
us who cannot read, that they may see the 
benefit and joy there is in reading the 
word of God for ourselves, and may be 
provoked to learn. 

"I, "William Eeeves, am the oldest 
member of the class, and I could not read 
a chapter in the word of God when I was 
converted ; but now, blessed forever be the 
Lord, I can say, ' Thy word is a lamp unto 
my feet, and a light unto my path. 5 

" I shall begin by reminding myself and 
you, for our unspeakable comfort here and 
happiness hereafter, of the authenticity of 
the word of the ever blessed God, and the 
love of Jesus, and this from its own truth." 

Here brother Eeeves refers extensively 
to the fulfilment of the prophecies of Scrip- 
ture relating to our Saviour — prophecies 



HOW HE LED A CLASS. 73 

delivered several hundreds of years before 
Jesus was born. Then he adds : — 

" I shall now read the 53d chapter of 
Isaiah." 

Then this verse was sung : — 

" See, from His head, his hands, his feet, 
Sorrow and love flow mingled down ; 

Bid e'er such love and sorrow meet, 
Or thorns compose so rich a crown ? " 

Then brother P was directed to read 

the 3d chapter of the Second Epistle of 
St. Peter, after which the class sang this 
verse, — 

" Should all the forms that men devise, 
Assault my faith with treacherous art, 

I 'd call them vanity and lies, 

And bind the gospel to my heart." 

" Now," says our friend, " as God, in so 
much love to us, has given us his dear and 
well-beloved Son, that we may be saved, 
our duty is to repent and believe the gos- 
pel. This is needful for all. So we find 
it in the word of God ; what is necessary 
for one is necessary for the whole world. 
Daniel ix; Jonah iii; Psalm li; Acts ii, 
37, 38 ; xvi, 30, 31." 



74 FATHER REEVES. 

Then sister K was appointed to read 

the 51st Psalm, but first this verse was 
sung : — 

" When quiet in my house I sit, 
Thy book be my companion still ; 

My joy Thy sayings to repeat, 
Talk o'er the records of Thy will, 

And search the oracles divine, 

Till every heartfelt word be mine." 

The 103d Psalm was then read. 

" And now," continues the leader, " we 
will remind ourselves again, that it is by 
faith alone in the precious blood of atone- 
ment that the poor, broken-hearted, re- 
pentant sorrowing sinner can be justified. 
Romans v, 1 ; Romans iii, 21 to the end ; 
Galatians iii; Titus iii, 5, 6; Matthew 
ix, 20 to 22 ; Mark v, 28 to 36. Let these 
suffice." 

Then a verse was sung: — 

" The thing surpasses all my thought, 

But faithful is my Lord ; 
Through unbeUef I stagger not, 

For God hath spoke the word ;" 

and brother II was called upon to 

read the second chapter of the Epistle to 
the Ephesians. 






HOW HE LED A CLASS. 75 

After this the leader again exhorted : — 
"We would not forget to remind our- 
selves of our unspeakable privilege ; for 
it is the will of God, our heavenly Father, 
that we should be sanctified wholly, 
' spirit, soul, and body,' and so be i preserv- 
ed blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 5 1 Thess. v, 23, 24. 

" But all the work of genuine religion, 
from first to last, is carried on in the soul 
by the Holy Spirit; this, so to speak, is 
his department in the economy of our re- 
demption. The Father is represented as 
originating the scheme, the Son executing 
it, and the Spirit as applying it. O then, 
my dear and beloved friends, you must 
see how very necessary it is, in all divine 
things, to have right knowledge of God's 
holy word. How can you get on in the 
way to heaven without studying the Bible ? 
The reason why so many turn back, and 
others get on so slowly is, because they do 
not study to make themselves acquainted 
with divine truth. O hear the ever- 
blessed Saviour's own words: ' Sanctify 
them through Thy truth : Thy word is 



76 FATHER REEVES. 

truth.' John xvii, 17; Ezek. xxxvi, 25-29 ; 
Ephesians i, 13, 14 ; iii, 15 to the end ; 
Eph. v, 26, 27; 1 John iv, 17, 18; 1 Peter 
i, 21-23." 

The members were then called upon to 
sing: — 

" Satan, with all his arts, no more 
Me from the gospel hope shall move ; 

I shaU receive the gracious power, 
And find the pearl of perfect love." 

One more exhortation did the leader 
give — "Not to forget our glorious rest with 
Jesus in his everlasting kingdom ;" and a 
number of references to the sacred volume 
are made, to excite the faith of his class. 

Finally, brother K was called upon 

to read the 14th chapter of St. John, and 

brother W to read the 7th chapter 

of the Book of the Revelation. Another 
verse was sung : — 

" Out of great distress they came : 
Wash'd their robes by faith below, 

In the blood of yonder Lamb, — 

Blood that washes white as snow." 

One more hymn, the 728th, page 656, 
was sung ; the whole service was sanctified 






IIOW HE LED A CLASS. 77 

by the word of God and prayer, and this 
unique class-meeting separated. 

Eather novel this, some may be dis- 
posed to exclaim. Yes ; but let them that 
say so think again, and they will acknowl- 
edge it undeniably good. This excellent 
leader would not have his members satis- 
fied until they could prove, from Scripture, 
the soundness of their faith, and until, to 
the joy of their souls, they could read for 
themselves, in their own tongue, the won- 
derful works of God. Six members (includ- 
ing the leader) out of one class, who could 
not read when they entered the society, 
reading on this memorable afternoon 
whole chapters of the word of God! 
May such leaders and members be mul- 
tiplied ! 

In the extracts made from the papers of 
our lamented friend, it is believed that 
the reader will find but few thoughts that 
could be more appropriately expressed; 
if, however, any one should think other- 
wise, let the subject of this sketch offer his 
own apology : — 

"I have lived long enough to know 



78 FATHER REEVES. 

that words are but sounds at the best ; but 
I have also learned that there is a vast 
difference in the force that different words 
carry with them, as much difference as 
there is between the sound of a sheep-bell 
and the great bell of St. Paul's; and I 
have often been obliged to weaken the 
force of all my poor scrawls, because I 
could not spell many words that I thought 
would have conveyed the power ; there- 
fore I was obliged to take words that I 
could spell, although with much less 
power to convey my meaning. 

"Wm. Eeeves, 1851." 



LEADERSHIP, COXTIXUED. 79 



CHAPTER Till. 

LET US JOIN ('TIS GOD commands), 
LET TS JOIN OUR HEARTS AND HANDS; 
HELP TO GAIN OCR CALLING'S HOPE; 
BUILD "WE EACH THE OTHER UP : 
GOD HIS BLESSINGS SHALL DISPENSE; 
GOD SHALL CROWN niS ORDINANCE; 
MEET IN HIS APPOINTED WATS ; 
NOURISH US WITH SOCIAL GRACE. 

LET US THEN AS BRETHREN LOVE, 

FAITHFULLY HIS GIFTS IMPROVE, 

CARRY ON THE EARNEST STRIFE, 

WALK IN HOLINESS OF LIFE. C, WESLEY 

LEADEESHIP, COEXISTED. 

" Be sure you tell all your relations and 
friends at what time your class meets," 
was one of Father Keeves's earliest instruc- 
tions to new members ; and that no one 
might plead ignorance as an excuse for 
not conforming to the rules, he not only 
gave each a copy, but devoted part of one 
meeting each quarter to read, explain, and 
enforce them. 

On such occasions he had a brief suit- 
able address to deliver : at one time a 
warning against conformity to the world ; 
at another, an exhortation to the study of 



80 FATHER BUJEVES. 

the Scriptures; at another, admonitions 
against lukewarmness, &e. In one of the 
latter he exposes most forcibly the folly of 
the excuses which many urge for not at- 
tending their class with regularity, finish- 
ing with men of business : — " Now, con- 
cerning the business over which you ' have 
no control.' To be a Christian and yet to 
have no control over business, I do not 
understand. I have been more than 
twenty-five years a class-leader, and yet, 
though I have business, I never missed 
once through business, and never should 
while I have two such swift helpmates as 
' Forethought' and ' Redeeming the Time.' " 

He recurs to this matter in another ad- 
dress with great earnestness : — " Be sure, 
my dear children, let all your families and 
all your friends know what day and at 
what time you meet in your class, that 
they may not make any engagement with 
you at that time. Tell them all that 
hour is the Lord's. Neh. vi, 2, 3, 4. 

" Now, my beloved children, be sure you 
be as firm against your enemies in build- 
ing your own house, (Heb. iii, 6,) as Ne- 



I 



LEADERSHIP, CONTINUED. 81 

heniiah was in building the house of the 
Lord. Yield not to your enemy or a pre- 
tended friend ; for what work is so great a 
work as your own salvation ? Heb. ii, 3 ; 
Phil, ii, 12 ; and be sure and take good 
heed to the words of our blessed Re- 
deemer. Matt, x, 36-39." 

These exhortations and other addresses 
on doctrinal subjects did not generally in- 
terfere with the ordinary class-meeting, 
but formed an introduction to the usual 
monthly prayer-meetings. Father Reeves 
says in one of them : " Such exhortations 
would not be needful when there are only 
from ten to twenty members in a class, 
when the leader has time every week to 
press these things on every one ; but where 
there are sixty to eighty members, the 
leader can only have time to get at their 
present and personal experience, and to 
urge a present salvation. He has no time 
to enlarge, in my humble judgment." 

All would agree that, with so consider- 
able a number, there was " no time to 
enlarge " at the ordinary weekly meetings ; 
but brother Reeves's classes found the 
6 



82 FATHER BEEVES. 

benefit of his careful preparation for them, 
in his ability to condense his observations, 
to convey in the fewest possible words the 
greatest amount of instruction. " He was 
never in haste," " always orderly," " never 
dull" is the unimpeachable testimony of 
intelligent members ; and yet, though so 
brief, he was eminently successful. Some 
leaders would take longer to meet twenty 
members, than this leader did sixty to 
seventy ; but if they prepared for their 
work more carefully, they could afford to 
be less copious, and would be more ef- 
fective. And though all leaders may not 
deem it wise to imitate brother Reeves's 
example, and read a brief, pointed, prac- 
tical ten to fifteen minutes address every 
monthly prayer-meeting, yet preparation 
for these assemblies would frequently make 
them more profitable. Hymns might be 
selected thoughtfully beforehand ; a por- 
tion of Scripture might be well studied 
and read to the assembled members, with 
perhaps a practical remark or two ; and 
if chosen in reference to some blessing 
needed, or some duty not over-zealously 



83 

performed, if it contained encouragement 
to prayer or stimulants to faith, how would 
it aid to promote humility before God, or 
to kindle the devotion of the class, while 
on their knees they remembered the word 
of the Lord ! 

Had brother Reeves a number of peni- 
tents in his class ? — the next prayer-meet- 
ing would be specially for them, penitential 
hymns selected, and an address of encour- 
agement with Scripture references would 
be delivered. Were penitents set at lib- 
erty ? — well-chosen verses of praise to God, 
previously marked, were heartily sung. 
Had the class received, as into a hospi- 
tal, some poor backsliders ? — the following 
prayer-meeting was for them ; for them 
the hymns, for them the exhortation, for 
them the Scripture fact and Scripture 
promise, and for them the earnest, importu- 
nate, prevailing prayer. Over backsliders 
Father Reeves truly mourned ; over their 
penitent return he as heartily rejoiced. 
In one paper, containing an account of his 
classes, he marks " One backslider ;" but 
the term is afterward blotted out, and this 



84 FATHER REEVES. 

line written, "The prodigal returned. 5 ' 
Were believers evidencing an earnest long- 
ing for a deeper baptism of the Holy Spirit ? 
— a prayer-meeting and an address were 
dedicated to those who were seeking " per- 
fect love ;" and when any attained it, the 
hymn of adoring gratitude was already at 
hand. 

Nothing was done without thought. 
When he read the Rules, he had certain 
suitable hymns invariably selected ; noth- 
ing was trivial with him that he deemed 
it his duty to perform. 

His addresses were not always in rela- 
tion to experience, but sometimes to prac- 
tice. One is headed, "A word to those 
who do not like to be dealt faithfully with ;" 
another, " On members neglecting to take 
their quarterly tickets." Others are adapt- 
ed to their season : " Questions to be pro- 
posed at the end of the year ;" " For the 
outpouring of the Spirit on the ministers 
and society generally at Lambeth;" and 
on " Family worship." 

"He laboured most diligently," says 
one of his members, " to instruct us in doc- 






LEADERSHIP, CONTINUED. 85 

trine, in Church discipline, and every 
matter necessary to make us intelligent 
Christians ; his mind was always devising 
means for our improvement. 

" He loved the members of his class to 
attend regularly, and so winning were his 
invitations for their presence when the 
time for the renewal of tickets approached, 
that it was difficult to be absent. l The 
dear ministers,' he would say, i feel en- 
couraged by a full attendance ; do come 
and cheer them by your presence. 5 He 
was so perfectly unselfish, he could never 
understand how a brother would keep his 
wife from the house of God to prepare his 
Sunday dinner ; ' he so loved that his dear 
wife should enjoy with him the feast of 
love in God's house, that he could well 
afford to do with a cold dinner.' 

" He knew well, and could expose most 
cleverly the stratagems of Satan, and the 
deceitfulness of human nature. We do 
not remember that he ever came to class 
desponding. Seasons of severe trial he 
has had, in common with others, and some- 
times expressions of the weight and care 



86 FATHER BEEVES. 

of the responsibility of his charge would 
escape him ; but the more general tone 
was that of great delight in the service of 
God." 

Another member writes : " He loved 
Wesleyan Methodism — indifferentism was 
dreaded as akin to infidelity ; but it was 
the sterling catholicity of Christian faith, 
the invariable rectitude of life, and the 
simplicity of aim that admitted of no mis- 
representation, that gave distinctness to 
his character. 

"The Bible preeminently, Baxter's 
Saints' Rest and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Prog- 
ress furnished his mind with abundant 
material for acceptably discharging the 
duties of a class-leader, or visitor of the 
sick and poor. He never ventured to dog- 
matize without an appeal to Scripture : — 
telling and rich quotations from ' Moses 
and the Prophets' would often awaken a 
thrilling interest usually pertaining to the 
subject forming 'the meditation in order 
for the day.' 

" In directing the penitent to a gracious 
Saviour, the deep emotions of a heart 



LEADERSHIP, CONTINUED. 87 

travailing in birth for souls would lay 
every energy of his mind under contribu- 
tion — speech would grow rapid and loud, 
and his memory seldom failed to supply 
the most appropriate and soothing passages 
of Scripture. Then, baptized with love, 
earnest and absorbed in exhibiting the di- 
vine compassion and present willingness 
to pardon the returning sinner, — amid 
gushing tears and thickened utterance, he 
would pray with a fervour and enlarge- 
ment truly remarkable." 



88 FATHER KEEVES. 



CHAPTER IX. 

HELP TJS TO HELP EACH OTHER, LORD t 

EACH OTHER'S CROSS TO BEAR J 
LET EACH HIS FRIENDLY AID AFFORD, 

AND FEEL HIS BROTHER'S CARE.— C. WESLEY. 

NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 

It has been shown how Father Reeves 
gathered men into the Church, and how he 
taught them when there ; but there are a 
few other points in the character of a suc- 
cessful leader, and these were conspicuous 
in the leader before us. He was invari- 
ably present at the weekly meeting of the 
stewards and leaders; and as he always 
collected the money from his members 
weekly, he as regularly paid the amount 
to the stewards. The writer cannot im- 
agine the attraction which would have 
prevented our friend from the discharge 
of this duty; whoever else was absent, 
Father Reeves was in the Lambeth chapel 
vestry on Thursday evening ; there he sat, 
always on one spot, on the left of the min- 



NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 89 

ister, his class-books ready, the addition 
of the last column checked by some youn- 
ger brother, and the money in the hand 
waiting for the steward to enter it. 

And his books are models. No blanks, 
or extremely few, against the members' 
names, but either the money or a sufficient 
reason for absence. 

" He was very skilful," says the female 
friend w r ho has previously so well sketched 
his proceedings, "in keeping the weekly 
payments straight. * Don't let Satan tempt 
you to remain away because you have got 
behind, and cannot pay up the score ; come 
and begin afresh.' But lest this should 
leave room for laxity and indifference, in 
what he considered a very important duty, 
he would describe, in most glowing terms, 
the immense pleasure some of the ' dear 
people ' felt in making sacrifice and using 
self-denial, as he would say, ' for the gos- 
pel;' illustrating his remarks by appro- 
priate anecdotes, and always giving us 
credit for such excellences as he desired 
we should possess. He would never allow 
the false idea that religion was expensive. 



90 FATHER BEEVES. 

' Let them compare the trifle given for the 
support of the gospel with those expenses 
into which sin had led them, and then 
judge. 5 " 

In one of the addresses referred to, 
Father Reeves, after enjoining obedience 
to the rules, " that we may not bring any 
disgrace on the Church of Christ," and 
urging punctuality " in private devotion," 
adds : " The Lord hath heard and answer- 
ed our prayer, and hath sent us faithful 
and able ministers to preach to us the 
blessed gospel, and they must be support- 
ed. Not by thousands a year, for then 
only the great and the rich could have the 
honour and privilege of paying ; but our 
ministers have a smaller sum, and, blessed 
be the Lord, he hath given us that are 
poor this great luxury — to help to pay the 
Lord's servants by a penny a week. Let 
us say with David, I will not offer ' unto 
the Lord my God of that which doth cost 
me nothing.' " 2 Samuel xxiv, 24. 

Father Reeves did not content himself 
with giving " a penny a week ," he gave 
as the Lord enabled him : but he had many 



NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 91 

in his classes who could spare no more. 
He loved those who ministered to the 
Lord's people in holy things, and evidenced 
his attachment to them at all times. 

Among such large numbers under his 
care, he had a long list of the sick, the 
poor, and the aged. He looked well to 
them ; his list was always ready " on poor's 
night ;" the name and the particulars of 
the case briefly stated, and the sum he de- 
sired asked for. When this was increased 
by any suggestion from a brother, the em- 
phatic " Thank you, sir," and the quickly 
altered figures told how much he delight- 
ed to be the Church's almoner to the Sav- 
iour's poor members. Occasionally he was 
intrusted by others with gifts for the poor, 
privately ; and all these accounts of re- 
ceipts and distribution were regularly kept 
in his books. 

One of his former members says of him : 
" While cultivating the charity that think- 
eth no evil, he carefully discriminated 
character, and dealt with parties accord- 
ingly. Such as sought through him cer- 
tain supposed advantages from member- 



92 FATHER REEVES. 

ship, while higher and worthier motives 
were believed to be absent, were not long 
in discovering the expediency of a retreat 
from their position. To the. sincere, his 
heart was ever expansive ; cordial invita- 
tion and affectionate welcome always 
awaited them, and beamed expressively 
through his peculiar contour of features ; 
but to the worldly views of others, as much 
severity could be manifested as comported 
with the Christian character." 

The same friend says : " Little children, 
brought by their parents, were always af- 
fectionately and appropriately regarded: 
this attention has often proved an addi- 
tional link in the chain which united him 
and his members." One of his papers, 
apparently written to be lent, is an address 
" to a mother with an infant." He loved 
the social and family characteristics of 
Methodism ; but, as this friend remarks, 
" he would check, and even silence obser- 
vations indiscreetly alluding to domestic 
and family affairs ; yet it was felt, that if 
counsel upon perplexing questions were 
needed, there was an open ear, a careful 



NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 93 

judgment, and a sincere sympathizing 
heart, ready to attend, ponder, and assist. 
Confidence was never shaken nor pro- 
priety shocked by disclosure." 

In one other particular of excellence as 
a class-leader should Father Reeves be 
viewed — his visitation of the sick and ab- 
sent members at their own homes. Many 
modern leaders think they do their duty 
by meeting (with something approaching 
to regularity) those members who may 
come to them on the class-night ; they, per- 
haps, send a message by a member to " the 
sick, the lame, and the lazy ;" or they con- 
tent themselves by scolding the delinquents 
in their absence, thus troubling the mem- 
bers present with the condemnation of 
faults which they at least have avoided. 
Not so this admirable leader. To estimate 
aright the following statement, let it be 
borne in mind, that until Father Reeves 
was seventy years of age, he had to work 
daily for his living ; that on Sundays, for 
many years, he was, except during very 
brief intervals, in the chapel from seven 
in the morning until eight o'clock at night, 



94 FATHER REEVES. 

and after that at a neighbouring prayer- 
meeting ; that every evening in the week, 
but one, was spent in the chapel, school- 
room, or vestry, in some religious service ; 
and yet he undertook and accomplished 
an amount of house-to-house visitation of 
his members, such as made his person well 
known through the neighbourhood, to saint 
and sinner, and kept up the numbers and 
spirit of his classes to an unparalleled de- 
gree. 

His visits, during the early years of his 
leadership, were few, or were not fully re- 
corded ; but, taking his class-books from 
1825 to 1852, nearly thirteen thousand 
visits may be traced — an average of four 
hundred and fifty a year ; and, during the 
last five years, they averaged six hundred 
and fifty a year. These are exclusively 
to his classes — to those detained by sick- 
ness, business, or temptation, and entirely 
apart from his visits on account of the 
Strangers' Friend Society, or his visits to 
members who had unavoidably left his 
classes. Were these added, it is proba- 
ble that his domiciliary visitations would 



NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 95 

amount to one thousand a year for the last 
three years. "These visits," says an old 
member, " were seasons of considerable 
interest ; solicitude for your temporal wel- 
fare was not omitted, but his absorbing 
anxieties were directed to spiritual con- 
cerns ; no member of the household was 
forgotten. My wife has remarked, 'Tour 
old leader is always about his Master's 
business.' Few men within the sphere of 
my observation won more respect than did 
he from those who had been educated in 
accordance with other Church systems." 
A poor woman, who with her husband met 
in Father Reeves's Sunday class, writes : 
"Ifwe have been absent from class, through 
illness, he has been sure to call the next 
morning before nine o'clock. Many a 
time he has helped us out of his own 
pocket, for fear we should not have bread." 
Another friend, who met with Father 
Reeves for the last twelve years, says : 
" His visits to my house, which occurred 
about once in a quarter, were always an- 
ticipated with pleasure by every member 
of my family, and proved seasons of de- 



96 FATHER REEVES. 

lightful communion to us, his heavenly- 
conversation raising our minds and hearts 
to things above — each visit being followed 
by an influence which convinced us that 
a man of God had been our guest. For 
the true happiness of our children he 
evinced an almost parental solicitude ; 
many and importunate were his prayers, 
accompanied by many tears, to the throne 
of grace, that they might be made par- 
takers of the blessings of salvation ; and 
sincerely did he rejoice with us, as he saw, 
from time to time, one after another of 
them translated into the kingdom of God's 
dear Son. One of his letters to us, dated 
December, 1851, we received a day or two 
after a Sabbath evening, when he had 
noticed our six children, side by side, 
commemorating the death of our dear 
Redeemer, at the table of the Lord, in 
Lambeth chapel. He tells us that his joy 
was inexpressible ; it filled his heart." 

This was a sight likely to interest angels, 
to move all good people, and would be 
sure to melt the tender heart of our de- 
parted friend. This was another point in 






NO DUTY NEGLECTED. 97 

which he was exemplary, — he regularly 
received the sacrament of the Lord's sup- 
per himself, and uniformly urged the duty 
on his members. 

" ' The command and invitation,' " says 
one who met with him, " ' of the Lord 
Jesus, rendered it,' he would urge, ' a bind- 
ing duty on the followers of Christ, if 
gratitude and love for the wondrous acts 
commemorated had not impelled, to the 
communion of saints.' At our meetings 
prior to Sacrament Sunday he was sure 
to make the announcement, together with 
the ' hope of meeting all my dear mem- 
bers at the table of the Lord.' " 

And he looked after them too. For 
many a long year the good old man took 
his stand just under the corner of the pul- 
pit stairs, gently aiding to form the line 
of waiting communicants, and narrowly 
scanning each line for the members of his 
own flock. 

He loved the " Society meetings," and 
regretted they were not more frequently 
held, and also that when held they were 
not confined to members. 
7 



98 FATHER REEVES. 

This good old-fashioned custom of meet- 
ing the society and examining the tickets, 
is one of the family characteristics of 
Methodism which should not be lost. 

The love-feast, too, especially delighted 
Father Reeves ; he was always ready here 
to tell how " the poor unlettered shepherd 
boy " found peace with God, always ready 
to counsel private prayer and preparation 
for the Sabbath. 

Orderly in everything, he has sometimes 
told us, " even my clothes are all laid out 
ready to put on in the morning ; I can put 
my hand on all I want in the dark." 

Self-denial he constantly urged. Early 
rising he insisted on as all but necessary 
to a growth in grace. "Does not your 
Lord," he sometimes asked, " find you in 
your bed, when he looked for you on your 
knees ?" 

Though greatly afflicted and frequently 
unable to get rest at night, he would not 
be induced to lie down during the day. 
He considered any disposition to this in- 
dulgence a temptation from Satan ; and 
few things grieved him more than to find 



NO JH'TY NJ$$JUBQTED. 99 

a mere excuse offered for absence from 
class. " O," said he, " if the members of 
society did but know how it pierces the 
heart of a leader, when lie visits them to 
know why they were not at class, to hear 
this answer, ' 1 was poorly, so I lay down 
till it was too late.' " He expresses a deep 
and serious fear lest such may be found 
" laid down at ease " when " the Bride- 
groom cometh," and that they will not 
recover their earnestness till it is " too 
late," and " the door is shut." 

That his attendance on the public means 
of grace, and his diligent visitation of his 
absent members, did not interfere with 
those private religious duties by which the 
soul of the Christian is chiefly sustained, 
may be gathered from the following rather 
singular paper, which relates to one of his 
most prosperous years in business. 

"December, 1831. This year has been a 
year of many mercies (as well as all the 
years of my life) — mercies temporal and 
spiritual. In the midst of much distress 
and want of trade in our land, glory be to 
my heavenly Father, he hath given me 



100 ■ FATHER BEEVES. 

enough and to spare. I have earned this 
year the sum of £84 14s. l\d. O, when 
I consider I am but a steward of all I pos- 
sess, how shall I stand to give an account 
at the morning of the resurrection ? O 
that the ever-blessed Lord may increase 
my wisdom to manage all to his glory ! 
I have heard this year one hundred and 
eighty-six sermons ; and have been at one 
hundred and thirty public prayer-meetings, 
and one hundred and fifty-eight class- 
meetings ; and have paid two hundred and 
fifty visits to members at their own houses ; 
one thousand and ninety-five times I have 
prayed with my family ; one thousand and 
ninety-five times in private, with my ever- 
blessed Jesus at the throne of grace. O 

how 

* I loathe myself when God I see, 
And into nothing fall !' 

O that the Lord may help me to redeem 
the time !" 



FATHER BEEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 101 



CHAPTER X. 

ALL WORLDLY JOYS GO LESS 

TO THE ONE JOY OF DOING KINDNESSES.— HERBERT. 

FATHER REEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 

In 1839 the members of the three classes 
at that time met by our departed friend 
subscribed to present to him a Bible, 
prayer-book, and hymn-book; and they 
caused a list of their names to be printed. 
This token of love deeply affected the 
leader : he read them a touching and most 
Scriptural address. 

But he turned the printed list to good 
purpose ; he wrote against the names an 
account of what became of them as far as 
he could trace them — no slight work, for 
out of one hundred and fifty-one members 
in 1839, only seventy-seven remained in 
the classes four years afterwards. 

In 1843, he records, "Four have been 
made leaders ; seven have died happy in 
the Lord, ten have become backsliders, 
seventy-seven remain with me, twenty 



102 FATHER REEVES. 

have removed," and the rest appear to 
have been taken away to assist in forming 
new classes. In 1 847 the Wednesday class 
was transferred to another leader; only 
ten remained of the forty-one counted in 
1839. In 1851 the numbers in the other 
two classes, found in the printed list, are 
thus counted up : — 

Removals, and to form new classes 58 

Deaths 18 

Backsliders 15 

Remaining with me 19 

110 

In 1851 Father Beeves remarks : " Two 
classes have been divided from the Sunday 
class since 1839; two from the Friday." 

The above numbers will show in what 
a very fluctuating population the parish 
of Lambeth has hitherto abounded ; the 
Sunday school and the congregation bear 
the same evidence ; looking at this fact, 
the service of such a leader as Father 
Reeves, who was ever ready for the rough- 
est as well as the most polished material, 
cannot be over-estimated. 

" On Sunday, May 18, 1851, we gave an 



FATHER REEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 103 

account of all these members," (the print- 
ed list,) " and we all spoke our present ex- 
perience by a text of Scripture. This is 
my general experience, 1 Cor. vi, 11 ; 
tliis is my present experience, Gal. ii, 20 ; 
and for my dear children, 3 John 4 ; Isa. 
liv, 13." 

In some years our lamented Mend was 
favoured with unusual accessions to the 
number of his members ; this was especi- 
ally the case in the first visitation of that 
awful scourge, the cholera, when one of 
our resident ministers, the Rev. John 
Storry, was removed by it. This event, 
with others, made a deep impression on 
the people, and in March, 1833, Father 
Reeves records : " The number in my three 
classes is one hundred and fifty-eight, being 
an increase, since last March, of sixty- 
nine ; and there are on trial this quarter, 
twelve. Glory be to the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost, for calling so many sin- 
ners out of the world, and receiving them 
into the Church and fitting them for 
glory !" 

Some of the prayer-meetings in his 



104 FATHER REEVES. 

classes at this time were distinguished by 
much of the divine presence ; at one peni- 
tent prayer-meeting twelve souls were set 
at liberty. Again, in 1838, Father Reeves 
writes, according to his wont, in his class- 
book, which, as it now contained the 
record of four classes, barely lasted six 
months : — 

" Glory be to His holy name, he has 
been fulfilling that great and glorious prom- 
ise which he so clearly and fully gave me 
one Sunday morning, about the year 1830, 
when on my knees praying for my classes : 
'The Lord shall increase you more and 
more, you and your children ; ye are bless- 
ed of the Lord which made heaven and 
earth.' O, my ever-blessed Father, keep 
me humble at the feet of Jesus while 'thou 
savest poor sinners. O, what have mine 
eyes seen! The Lord has added in this 
class-book — 

To my Sunday afternoon class 9 

Sunday evening. 8 

Wednesday 12 

Friday 8 

37 



FATHER KEEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 105 

and the blessed Lord has set twenty souls 
at happy liberty." 

Every quarter he carefully took out an 
estimate of his classes ; usually adding the 
statistics for the circuit. The following is 
a specimen : — ■ 

STATE OF MY CLASSES, DECEMBER, 1842. 
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. 

Removals 3 

Backsliders 1 

Number of members 80 

On trial 6 

Found peace 6 

Last quarter 74 

Increase 6 

WEDNESDAY. 

Removals 5 

Number., 66. 

On trial 4 

Found peace 4 

Last quarter 60 

Increase 6 

FRIDAY. 

Removals 5 

Numbers 44 

On trial 1 

Found peace 1 

Last quarter 44 



106 FATHER KEEVES. 

Total number of members, 190 

On trial 11 

Found peace 11 

Number of members at Lambeth 665 

Total in the circuit < 1561 

Number on trial 61 

Increase this quarter 12 



The last address of Father Reeves to his 
Sunday class is preserved. It was for the 
prayer-meeting in October, 1852 ; in it he 
greets his " very dear and beloved children 
in the Lord Jesus," calls upon them " with 
all their souls to join him in praising the 
Triune God." He says : " For the last six 
months you have given me, your unworthy 
leader, far greater joy and gladness of 
heart than in all the thirty-four years be- 
fore ; and not to me only, for this would 
have been no joy to me, had it not been 
for the glory of our heavenly Father. 
Again we will sing, Hallelujah to God and 
the Lamb, who hath given us grace to 
fulfil all righteousness ! for many of you 
by self-denial, by taking up the cross week- 
ly, have given full proof that in accord- 
ance with our Lord's commands you have 



FATHER REEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 107 

loved him more than father or mother, 
son or daughter, husband or wife, or any 
pretended friend, or gold, or silver, or any 
of the comforts of life.'' 

He then proceeds to state the sins of the 
Churches of Asia, pointing out each, and 
making valuable practical remarks. 

Only one paper more on the subject of 
leadership, though he has left materials for 
a volume. It is the laudable practice at 
the Lambeth leaders' meeting, when a new 
leader is to be proposed for reception, to 
ask him whether he believes, and how he 
would teach, the Scriptural doctrines which 
are generally taught among Methodists. 
Of course, the quality of the answers is 
varied; but Father Reeves was anxious 
that those made leaders from his classes 
should pass their examination well. There 
is reason to believe the following paper 
was prepared for the benefit of one of these 
friends : — ■ 

" My Dear Brother, — You will be ask- 
ed in the first place, whether you believe 
that all mankind are fallen, and are be- 



108 FATHER KEEVES. 

come sinners ? The answer is, Gen. vi, 5 ; 
Isaiah i, 4-6 ; Mark vii, 21-23. You will 
be asked whether it is needful that a sin- 
ner should repent, and what repentance 
is ? Luke xiii, 5 ; xxiv, 47 ; Acts v, 31 ; 
xvii, 30. Also, "What would you say to a 
poor sinner who should cry out, 'What 
must I do to be saved?' The answer is, 
John i, 29 ; Acts xvi, 31. You will be 
asked, whether Christ died for all men? 
The answer is, Heb. ii, 9 ; 1 Tim. ii, 4-6 ; 
Acts x, 34, 35. You will be asked, How 
is a sinner justified, and what text of Scrip- 
ture you would give to prove it ? You 
may find an answer, Rom. v, 1 ; iii, 28-31. 
You will be asked, What is sanctification ? 
You may give a Scriptural answer, Matt. 
xxii, 37. And by what means a believer 
is sanctified ? Take Acts xv, 9 ; 1 John i, 9. 
The promise of sanctification is found in 
Ezekiel xxxvi, 25, 26. You will be asked, 
whether it is possible to lose it and finally 
fall? The answer is, 1 Tim. i, 19; Heb. 
x, 26, 27, 38 ; 2 Peter ii, 20-22 : Heb. 
vi, 4-6. You will be asked, whether you 
believe in the general resurrection, and 



FATHER REEVES AND HIS MEMBERS. 109 

the day of judgment? The answer is, 
John v, 29 ; Acts xxiv, 15. And whether 
you believe in eternal punishment ? Matt, 
xxv, 46 ; Mark ix, 43 ; Kev. xiv, 11. You 
will be asked, whether you believe that 
the Holy Ghost is God? The answer is, 
Acts v, 3, 4." 

Father Reeves might have added other 
questions, but these show how alive he 
was to the reputation of any who had been 
his members. 



110 FATHER REEVES. 



CHAPTER XI. 

TO JOIN THE SPIRITS OF THE JUST 

YOUR LEADER HATH DEPARTED ; 
EE COMFORTED, EE COMFORTED, 

YE BRUISED AND BROKEN-HEARTED. — M. HOWITT. 

MS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 

The usefulness of our beloved and lament- 
ed friend was founded on his experimental 
acquaintance with the truths he wished 
others to embrace. 

"It seems rational to hope," says Dr. 
Johnson, "that they who are most able to 
teach others the way to happiness should 
with the most certainty follow it them- 
selves;" but the moralist intimates that 
this expectation is frequently disappointed. 

Now Father Reeves could well teach 
others the way, for he was constantly 
walking in it: he knew and loved "the 
path of the commandments ;" he was fa- 
miliar with all the guide-posts " of prom- 
ise ;" he drank repeatedly of " the wells 
of salvation ;" and, from the commence- 






HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. Ill 

ment of his Christian course, he followed 
" the path of life " with the certainty that 
appertains to the deepest conviction of 
truth, and manifests itself in unwavering 
consistency of character. 

He had been four years a class-leader 
before he committed to writing that cove- 
nant with God which he had repeatedly 
made before. In the same book from, 
which his autobiography is taken, the fol- 
lowing is found : — % 

"Here for the first time, for want of 
courage, to my shame, I commit my cove- 
nant in writing ; but this morning, feeling 
that the Lord accepts me for his own, 1 
here, with my hand and all my heart, give 
myself to him. 

" O Lord, I am thine, save me ! If thou 
sparest me this year, help me to glorify 
thy name ; and if thou takest me, take me 
to thyself. I am thy unworthy servant, 
" William Reeves. 

" January 7, 1822." 

Underneath this is written at a later 
time, "You will see I am a bad speller 



112 FATHER REEVES. 

but a worse sinner ;" though this remark 
probably refers to the narrative of his life 
which followed. 

Occasional entries in the blank leaves 
of his class-books, testify, from time to 
time, the trials and the triumphs of our 
friend's faith, and of his growth in grace. 
Of late years these entries became more 
copious, and some extracts may be made 
from them. In March, 1840, is the fol- 
lowing : — > 

" I believe the ever-blessed Lord is car- 
rying on his own work of grace in my poor 
soul, because I never felt the corruption 
and awful depravity of my own heart and 
life as I do now. Yes, indeed ! it is one 
thing to read of it in the word of God 
where it is so clearly pointed out — one thing 
to hear of it from the pulpit and to talk 
about it to others — but O, how different it 
is when we see and feel it within by the 
light of the Spirit of God! Well might 
my beloved Saviour say, ' If I wash you 
not, ye have no part with me.' I bless 
the Lord that I ever felt his blood applied 
to my poor polluted heart, and still feel 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 113 

that I have need of its efficacious power 
eveiy moment." 

In another book, the same year, is writ- 
ten : " Glory be to Thy holy name that thou 
continuest to make thy house my sweetest 
home on earth; but praise the Lord, O 
my soul, that 1 know my name is written 
in the Lamb's book of life ; and if the 
' earthly house of this tabernacle' were dis- 
solved, 1 1 have a building of God, eternal 
in the heavens.' " 

His experience continued to deepen. In 
1843 he wrote : u Confinement by sickness 
is a seasonable opportunity for improve- 
ment in patience and resignation ; the love 
of God is a sweet support in pain. Glory 
be to Thy holy name, I feel it has opened 
a paradise on earth! I now feel I am 
' dead indeed unto sin,' and ' my life is hid 
with Christ in God.' O my soul, art thou 
indeed lodged in such a heavenly place ? 
— the thought is overwhelming." 

Father Reeves was no stranger to afflic- 
tion. He blesses God for having given 
him power to endure, but says, in 1843 : 
" My nights have been full of tossing to 
8 



114 FATHER REEVES. 3 

and fro until the dawning of the day; : 
often have I been obliged, through severe 
pain, to get out of bed from ten to twenty 
times in the night and walk my chamber ; 
and yet the blessed Lord hath given me 
strength to labour hard all the day for the 
bread that perisheth, and to meet my 
classes, and to enjoy the visitation of the 
poor and sick of the Lord's people. His 
grace has ever been sufficient for me." 

On some of these nights of painful watch- 
ing, his soul was so blessed, while relying 
" by faith on the precious atoning blood," 
that he says, " I almost fear sinking into 
the arms of sleep, lest I should fail to re- 
tain the bliss I now enjoy. Give Thine 
angels charge over me !" 

In 1844 an entry runs thus : " For sev~ 
eral weeks past my soul has been longing 
for a clearer testimony from the Spirit of 
my entire sanctification. I pleaded hard 
with the Lord for it, through the precious 
blood of Jesus ; and, glory be to my heav- 
enly Father, he very soon granted me the 
desire of my heart, though so unworthy, 
and filled my soul with ' perfect love. 5 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 115 

Blessed be the name of the Triune God 
for his unspeakable love to me." 

This blessing Father Reeves appears to 
have enjoyed at an earlier date, but his 
evidence of it was now, as he remarks, 
given to him " afresh" and " far brighter." 

In 1845, while reading the Scriptures in 
family worship, and " meditating, by the 
help of the Holy Spirit, on the exceeding 
great and precious promises, my soul," 
says our friend, " was in very deed, in a 
large and overwhelming sense, made a 
partaker of the divine nature ; O how was 
I humbled at the Saviour's feet, and my 
soul filled with glory and praise to the al- 
mighty God of love !" 

Take extracts from another entry — "My 
body being tossed with great pain so that 
I could not sleep all night, while I was 
meditating on the mercy of God and the 
love of Jesus at midnight, divine light 
rushed into my soul ; and though it was 
all darkness without, glory be to God, it 
was all heavenly light within." He went 
on meditating about heaven, the glorious 
city, the New Jerusalem, and the Lamb 



116 FATHER EEEVES. 

in the midst of the throne, when, he says, 
— " This blessed part of the word of God 
was, by his Spirit, spoken to my heart in 
a voice loud but sweet : ' I am the light of 
the w^orld ; he that followeth me shall not 
walk in darkness, but shall have the light 
of life. 5 In a moment my soul was so filled 
with that light and life, my peace and joy 
became so exceeding great, the blood of 
atonement so sweet and precious, that it 
must have been a portion of heavenly joy 
and glory poured into my soul. I could 
only find vent for my happiness by crying, 
' Glory, glory, glory to God and the Lamb 
forever and forever !' O, this was a happy 
night of pain ! I would not have been with- 
out it for all the sleep in the world ; if ever 
I could say in truth, it is now — ■ 

* With Thee conversing, we forget 

All time, and toil, and care ; 
Labour is rest, and pain is sweet, 

If thou, my God, art here.' " 

From this time his experience is of the 
richest and deepest tone; and, but that 
religious biography has for years past pre- 
sented Christian enjoyment to the readers, 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 117 

till, it is feared, some of the effect of the 
recital is lost, a whole volume might be 
filled with passages nearly as rich as the 
above. 

Father Reeves was eminently a prac- 
tical man; and yet, had he indulged it, 
he might have exhibited much power of 
imagination. One of his class speaks of 
the aptness of his illustrations of Scripture 
doctrine and experience drawn from the 
scenes of his boyhood ; and so true to na- 
ture, as at once to awaken interest and 
rivet attention. The following extract 
shows the imaginative faculty busy in 
sleep, and almost realizes an answer to the 
prayer of Charles Wesley : — 

" Loose me from the chains of sense, 

Set me from the body free ; 
Draw with stronger influence 

My unfetter 'd soul to Thee; 
In me, Lord, thyself reveal ; 

Fill me with a sweet surprise ; 
Let me thee, when waking, feel ; 

Let me in thy image rise." 

"July 18, 1846.— This night I was in 
much pain of body, and walked my bed- 



118 FATHER REEVES. 

room for some hours ; then I returned to 
bed very happy in my soul, and as I lay 
down, I said : ' O my ever-blessed Jesus, 
may I dare to ask thee to suffer such a 
poor sinful unworthy worm as I to lean 
my head on my Redeemer's breast ? — and, 
glory be to God, it appeared as if I was 
in the arms of my blessed Saviour, and I 
fell asleep in this happy frame of mind. 
Shortly I dreamed I was in the country 
again, where I was brought up, striving 
to drive a horse into a stable where I had 
driven many when I was young : but this 
hors^I thought was like the animal Ba- 
laam rode. I strove hard to get it in, but 
could not. After a few minutes, a tall 
thin figure like a man came rushing out, 
but I did not see his face. I said, ' I know 
whom you seek, it is I, 5 and I felt as if it 
had been real. But I felt no fear; my 
mind was sweetly tranquil, and, believing 
it was Death, I said, ' Come quickly, and 
do your office ;' and he turned round with 
a dart in his hand and thrust it into my 
side ; and, as soon as the fatal blow was 
struck, I expected instant heaven, and I 



HIS KELIGIOU3 EXPERIENCE. 119 

began to sing a part of the hymn begin- 
ning, ' Yital spark, 5 and I sang — 

1 death, where is thy sting ? 

death, where is thy sting?' &c, &c., 

and, in the act of singing, I awoke. My 
heart was deeply affected, and I began to 
praise God for keeping me from fear in 
the immediate prospect of death. This 
vision of the night has been of great bene- 
fit to my soul ; it has led me more closely 
to examine myself, and to pray more fer- 
vently to my heavenly Father that I may 
in very deed be found of him at last in so 
sweet and tranquil a mind, without fear, 
trusting alone in the precious blood of 
Jesus. 

" I do not put any confidence in dreams ; 
no, for I have been so many years afflict- 
ed that I have been like Job, ' scared with 
dreams, and terrified with visions of the 
night,' and I should not have noticed this 
but that the power, mercy, goodness, and 
love of God should not be forgotten. Mr. 
Wesley says : i A dream is a fragment of 
life broken off at both ends, not connected 
either with the part that is gone before or 



120 FATHER REEVES. 

with that which follows after/ O that I 
may never forget — 

* My life is a dream ; my time, as a stream, 

Glides swiftly away ; 
And the fugitive moment refuses to stay/ " 

Under date Sunday, August 16, 1846, 
we have the following burst of holy confi- 
dence ; with such faith, no wonder Father 
Reeves was a successful leader : — 

" This morning I read at family worship 
the third chapter of John, and when I 
came to the exceeding precious lines, the 
16th and 17th verses, the Lord in a most 
extraordinary manner broke in on my soul 
by the light of his Holy Spirit. He filled 
my whole soul with pure light, fulness of 
joy, and holy love : all language fails to 
express what I felt — all the powers of my 
soul had such a mighty grasp of faith. I 
saw and felt, as I never saw before, that 
the almighty Father did not love me in 
word only, but in deed and in truth, in 
bestowing that unspeakable gift of his 
well-beloved and only-begotten Son : and 
I saw so clearly the precious love of his 
dear Son so sweetly blending with the 






HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 121 

Father's, that they became together one 
mighty ocean of unfathomable love. The 
ever-blessed Spirit revealed this love to my 
soul and opened my understanding, so that 
I feel now if I had a thousand souls, — yes ! 
I feel if I had ten thousand worlds of souls, 
and they were all sunk as black and deep 
in sin as Sodom, or the Jews, or any Gen- 
tiles, — yet I can so fully believe in the 
precious blood of atonement, that if they 
will repent, and go by faith to that precious 
fountain of blood, I firmly believe it will 
wash them all as white as snow, and make 
them all meet for glory ! 

"O, the real enjoyment even in antici- 
pating everlasting life ! — no angel tongue 
can tell it, but feeling it fills my soul. I 
am led to exclaim, O the depth of the wis- 
dom and love of God ! 

* Lord, I believe thy precious blood, 
Which, at the mercy-seat of God, 
Forever doth for sinners plead, 
For 7ne, e'en for my soul was shed. 

1 Lord, I believe were sinners more 
Than sands upon the ocean shore, 
Thou hast for all a ransom paid, 
For all a full atonement made.' " 



122 FATHER REEVES. 

Our next extract will be, Jan. 2, 1848 : — 
"This afternoon I found a most solemn 
and heart-affecting time at 'the renewal 
of the covenant ;' and yet to my soul it 
was the most refreshing I ever felt. I was, 
in very deed, enabled by grace divine, 
through faith, to touch the precious cove- 
nant blood, and thereby I felt assured that 
I received the seal that moment, stamped 
by love divine with all its sanctifying 
power. O, I shall never forget how un- 
speakably precious was Christ to me that 
moment ! I was able to give up my body 
and soul with all I am and have, to give 
up my dear wife, and my classes — which 
are my dear children ; and this I solemnly 
did, as though it were the last covenant 1 
should ever make with God. 

" And now, thou Triune God, Searcher of 
hearts, thou knowest that I make this cov- 
enant with thee this day without any known 
guile or reservation, beseeching thee, if thou 
espiest any flaw or falsehood therein, thou 
wouldst discover it to me and help me to 
do aright. And now, glory be to God the 
Father, to God the Son, and God the Holy 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 123 

Ghost, I am thine, and thou art my Father. 
Amen and Amen. 

1 Now, God, thine own I am, 
Now I give thee back thine own — 

Freedom, friends, and health, and fame 
Consecrate to thee alone ; 

Thine I live, thrice happy I — 

Happier still if thine I die.' " 

Father Reeves frequently records his joy 
in visiting the sick members of his classes? 
and this year especially : " My soul," he 
says, "has been drinking with them of the 
fountain of life freely ; and in looking 
through the week's list, I find by the mer- 
cy of God I have been enabled to visit 
twenty-three families in the distance from 
Smithfield to Clapham. O, what love doth 
my Father show me, to grant this great 
luxury, and strength of body to travel so 
far at almost seventy years of age !" 

The close of the year 1848 was a time of 
great prosperity in the classes of our dear 
friend. A young man who had met with 
him, and enj oyed religion, but had changed 
his residence, and lost his hope, came to 
Father Reeves again. The class prayed 



124 FATHER BEEVES. 

for the wanderer ; and the leader says : 
" Glory be to Jesus, he had not been in 
the class long before the Lord took the 
lamb out of the lion's mouth. We re- 
joiced over him as those who had taken a 
great spoil." 

At another meeting he says: "One of 
our dear sisters, whom Satan had bound, 
lo ! more than twelve years, received par- 
don, and shouted aloud for joy. The class 
were all much quickened." The work 
spread, and the following entry is made : — ■ 

""Went to my happy class this after- 
noon ; it was our monthly prayer-meeting, 
and truly it was a time never to be forgot- 
ten. It was a time of breaking down and 
building up. Penitents began to cry for 
mercy, and those who had lately found 
pardoning grace began to praise Him 
aloud ; while all those who had long en- 
joyed peace through believing, were now 
led in a most extraordinary and earnest 
manner to cry for perfect love ; and al- 
though there were so many, yet there was 
but one heart, one soul, one voice. ' Love, 
love, perfect love,' was the cry of all ; and, 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 125 

glory be to God, we did not cry in vain ; 
the Spirit of love was so poured out upon 
us that we scarcely could part. This Sab- 
bath has been a foretaste of the Sabbath 
above. But there are some cold-hearted 
professors, because they do not possess this 
love, are asking, ' Doth old Methodism live 
among us now in Lambeth V I can answer 
with joy and say, ' Come and see. 5 

" Sinners are awakened, and are crying 
for mercy. Come and see. 

"Penitents are justified by faith, and 
have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Come and see. 

"Believers are by faith plunged into 
that Fountain that is opened for sin and 
uncleanness, and are washed and sancti- 
fied, and made white through the blood of 
the Lamb. It is so now. Come and see." 

An entry, January, 1849, shows some- 
thing of the character of the members he 
had to visit : — 

u Glory be to God, in visiting the sick 
and dying to-day among my dear children, 
I have found such a degree of happiness, 
peace, and joy, that I seldom, if ever, felt 



126 FATHER REEVES. 

before. Truly my cup has run over while 
hearing the sure evidence and transport- 
ing joy of several of God's dying saints. 

" Esther 1ST -, aged 82 ; .near death ; 

but she is as a little child, lying at the feet 
of Jesus, full of faith and joy unspeakable. 
Truly her life is hid with Christ in God. 

" Caroline E , aged 82 ; has been a 

member of Christ's Church forty years, 
and is still fixed on the Rock. 

" Anne P , aged 80 ; a member fifty 

years, and has been confined to her room 
for more than four years, but she is firmly 
fixed in the cleft of the Rock. 

"Francis R , aged 84; a member 

fifty years; in much pain, but resigned 
and happy. 

" Mary R ; very ill, and with v some 

doubts. 

" Fanny K ; very ill, but unspeak- 
ably happy. 

"Ann N" ; very feeble; she cannot 

tell her age. Mr. Wesley gave her her 
first ticket. She has been a backslider, 
but has been restored for ten years, and 
enjoys much peace." 



HIS KELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 127 



CHAPTER XII. 

YOU SEE THE MAN; YOU SEE HIS HOLD OF HEAVEN '. 
HEAVEN WAITS NOT THE LAST MOMENT J OWNS ITS FRIENDS 
ON THIS SIDE DEATH, AND POINTS THEM OUT TO MEN. 

YOUNG. 

RELIGIOUS- CHARACTER AND EXPERIENCE. 

Numerous entries in his diary show the 
humility of Father Reeves. Respected 
and loved by all, he was encouraged in 
the leaders' meeting freely to offer his 
opinion ; but he was not always satisfied 
that he had delivered himself in the best 
manner. "I have," said he, "a continual 
fear of offending in word ; this I have often 
done, not willingly, but by speaking too 
much, as I did this evening on the out- 
ward affairs of the Church. I thank my 
heavenly Father that I have not to con- 
demn myself for speaking anything posi- 
tively evil ; but I am much to blame that, 
after so much teaching from God and man, 
I have not more wisdom and knowledge 
to guide me to speak aright at all times. 



128 FATHER BEEVES. 

Lord, help me ! I want to be humble, that 
my heart may always glow with the love 
of God and man. 

" might my lot be cast with -these, 
The least of Jesus' witnesses ! 
that my Lord would count me meet 
To wash his dear disciples' feet !" 

Not many months before the death of 
our friend, a slight difference of opinion 
on some point of practice had occurred in 
the leaders' meeting. He heard that one 
or two were somewhat grieved at what he 
was supposed to have said. He came down 
the next week, and, with a heart full of 
love, and a voice trembling with emotion, 
offered " to go on his knees to seek forgive- 
ness from any brother he had offended." 

After he became too infirm for manual 
labour, he devoted his whole time to the 
Lord. In 1849 the cholera was again 
with us, and though feeble and afflicted 
our friend was always employed. "I 
spent," he says, on the 20th August, " some 
time in reading and prayer, and then went 
out to visit for the Strangers' Friend So- 
ciety. I visited ten cases for this society 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 129 

to-day ; eight of these, cholera cases ; and 
I saw two members of my classes ill with 
the same disease. I felt almost worn out, 
but, glory be to God, though I am tired in 
body I am not tired of the glorious work. 
I could wish, were it my heavenly Father's 
will, that I had another body to wear out 
in his service, for his glory, and the salva- 
tion of sinners. I used to pray, while I 
was young, that if I was spared to grow 
old and past labour, and it were the Lord's 
will, I might live on a little longer, and be 
enabled to do a little for him in visiting 
the sick. Glory forever be to his holy 
name, he has given me the desire of my 
heart. O what wondrous love ! If the 
Lord had not given me this glorious work, 
peradventure my old body had grown 
lazy, and my poor soul sunk down with 
it. How precious is this work daily to 
my soul !" 

In March, 1850, is this entry : " I went 
to my class this afternoon much oppressed 
through bodily infirmities ; my nature 
seemed to shrink to meet so large a num- 
ber ; but, glory be to God, no sooner had I 
9 



130 FATHER REEVES. 

entered the place where we meet than my 
soul was filled with love, joy, and peace. 
I felt, indeed, the Lord was my strength in 
weakness. This day has been one of great 
peace and triumph in my class. One found 
peace, and some, I believe, were sanctified ; 
and of late, every time we have met, one 
or two have been pardoned, and we are 
daily increasing our number." 

" Whit-Sunday, 1850.— Glory be to God, 
my classes prosper ; although these are 
troublous times, yet we are adding poor 
sinners' names to our classes every week. 
And as the penitents increased in number, 
we set apart this day to pray to almighty 
God that he would pour out his Spirit as 
on the day of Pentecost. And, glory to 
God, it was a season of triumph. No 
sooner had we begun to pour out our souls 
in fervent prayer and faith, than there 
came down an overwhelming power of the 
Spirit. Penitents began to cry aloud for 
mercy, and, glory be to Jesus, they did not 
cry in vain. Five poor sinners found peace 
by faith in the blood of the Lamb : one 
poor old backslider was so overcome with 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 131 

the joy of pardoning love, that he was 
some minutes before he could speak to tell 
us ; one poor stranger found mercy from 
God; and I believe several of the old 
members were made perfect in love. The 
Spirit of love was poured out mightily on 
all, so that we scarcely could part. It was 
a Whit-Sunday, a day of Pentecost, never 
to be forgotten. To the Triune God be all 
the glory, to whom alone it is due. It so 
overcame my weak body, that I could not 
rest day nor night for pain ; but I could 
have wished for another body, to be spent 
for the Lord and the salvation of poor sin- 
ners, in the same work." 

August 7, Father Reeves records the 
death of one of his members : " He met 
with me twenty-nine or thirty years ; he 
came a poor broken-hearted sinner ; he 
soon found pardon through the blood of 
the Lamb, and continued to grow in grace 
and in the knowledge of Jesus. He never 
missed his class ; he loved Ms Bible and 
his closet" This was a man after Father 
Reeves's own heart. 

No one, acquainted with tl ? e operations 



132 FATHER REEVES. 

of divine grace on the heart, expects that, 
despite affliction, trials, infirmity, and all 
the other difficulties which beset a Chris- 
tian's pathway, he should always, every 
lay and every hour, be enabled to rejoice. 
No matter what his attainments, until he 
-S released from the cares of the world, the 
infirmities of the flesh, and the temptation 
of the devil, he will, though his feet are 
firm on the Rock Christ Jesus, yet find at 
times the atmosphere less bright and clear 
than at more favoured seasons. It is not 
because our departed friend never knew 
depression, that but few extracts are given 
from his diary tinged with any sombre 
hue, (though he had far less of religious 
depression than most of God's saints,) but 
because other passages abound which show 
an exalted state of piety and spiritual en- 
joyment attainable; and it is deemed 
right to bring forward selections from 
these, that the souls of the faithful may be 
stimulated and encouraged to seek the 
same blessings ; to walk, as did Father 
Reeves, — 

" High in salvation and the climes of bliss." 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 133 

October 6, 1850, was to our friend a 
time of great enjoyment. In the vestry, 
according to his wont, before every one 
else, he sat reading the Bible and contem- 
plating " the exceeding great and precious 
promises." a I felt in a moment," says 
Father Reeves, "as though an audible 
voice spoke this promise to my inmost 
soul : ' For so an entrance shall be minis- 
tered unto you abundantly into the ever- 
lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ.' 2 Peter i, 11. I sunk into 
my own nothingness, as in the dust, and 
exclaimed, ' What, 7, Lord ? — such an un- 
worthy worm as I enter into thy glory V 
and the words were applied with such ex- 
traordinary power, light, and glory, that 
my whole soul was filled with inexpressi- 
ble emotion. I kneeled down, and with 
gushing tears of love and joy unspeakable, 
could only exclaim, ' Glory, glory to God 
the Father, God the Son, and God the 
Holy Ghost, which hath sealed me again 
his adopted child.' O may I ever be 
found faithful to his covenant grace and 
love. 



134 FATHER REEVES. 

* Faith lends its realizing light ; 

The clouds disperse, the shadows fly ; 
The' Invisible appears in sight, 

And God is seen by mortal eye/ " 

The diary is now full of beautiful thought 
and reflection, and it is difficult to know 
what to leave out. The following is in- 
serted as a contemplation of death :■ — - 

" March 12, 1851. — This five or six days 
past I have been confined to my home by 
affliction, and have found it exceedingly 
profitable. I have been taught some pre- 
cious lessons in my Father's school. O 
how sweet it is to sit there and learn, and 
say, ' My Father's will be done.' I do n't 
know how near this affliction is bringing 
me to death, neither doth it trouble me 
to know; but I still rejoice to live with 
Christ in my heart and one foot in the 
grave. Glory be to God, my ever-blessed 
Saviour is now fulfilling his precious prom- 
ise to my soul, ' Because I live, ye shall 
live also.' I rejoice to feel and say, ' I am 
crucified with Christ ; nevertheless, I live ; 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the 
life which I now live in the flesh, I live 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 135 

by the faith, of the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave himself for me.' Although 
I cannot tell how near my affliction may 
bring me to death, yet, glory be to God, I 
can, yea I do feel assured that grace, faith, 
and love, can bring me to glory ; fta % , ' He 
that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, for 
God is love.' 

1 what are all my sufferings here, 

If, Lord, thou count me meet 
With that enraptured host to' appear, 

And worship at thy feet. 

* Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, 

Take life or friends away ; 
I come to find them all again, 

In that eternal day/ " 

Another entry shows how ready his 
mind had become to see " good in every- 
thing :"— 

" I was walking down London-street to- 
day, visiting the sick, and saw a newly- 
invented ladder — a very clever thing, 
made for the escape of people from their 
houses in cases of fire. It was very high, 
but did not reach heaven ; but O, with 
what love and joy my soul was filled while 



136 FATHER REEVE8. 

I remembered JacoVs ladder, and know 
that this is my ladder ; that by this alone 
I escaped the fire of hell. And now, by 
this ladder, which is Christ, (as Mr. "Wes- 
ley says,) I can daily, yea, hourly, ascend 
by faith and hold intercourse with heaven 
and with the Father of spirits. ' Christ is 
the way.' O wondrous love ! O bound- 
less grace ! O that my longing soul may 
with far greater ardour, 

* Run up with joy the shining way, 
To see and praise my Lord.' " 

" May 18. — A glorious day to-day ; the 
preached gospel has been made a great 
blessing and comfort to my soul. The 
Rev. Mr. M'Lean preached this morning 
from ' What do ye more than others V I 
was much humbled and ashamed that I 
had done so little for Jesus, and for the 
glory of God ; but I could rejoice to feel 
and know that he had by divine grace re- 
newed my heart. In the afternoon we 
had a blessed class-meeting : each one took 
a portion of God's most holy word, to ex- 
press his present and real experience ; 






HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 137 

many souls were filled with perfect love ; 
and one poor old backslider, who had been a 
backslider for more than sixty years, w T as 
again, to-day, restored to perfect peace. 
I believe we were all baptized afresh by 
the Holy Ghost." 

"August 31. — My soul hath indeed all 
this month drank, and is now drinking 
into the fulness of God's love. O the un- 
speakable joy of perfect love ! My soul 
is living in the happy land of Beulah — it 
is all summer. I feel that all the means 
of grace, public and private, at home and 
abroad, are golden pipes to convey streams 
of blessing to my soul, bought with the 
precious blood of Jesus." 

"October 31. — A thought came into my 
mind which was made a great blessing to 
my soul. I thought I was like a tree 
planted by a river of water, (Psa. i, 3,) as 
I have often seen in the country, and by 
the continual running of the water the 
earth is all washed away by little and lit- 
tle, till the tree falls, as saith the preacher, 
Eccles. xi, 3 ; and, glory be to God, I now 
feel I am iiist on the brink of Jordan. 



138 FATHER REEVES. 

Blessed be the Lord, the earth is indeed 
almost washed away, — there are but a very 
few small fine roots that have got hold of 
the earth ; a very few floods more will 
wash it all away, and then I feel I shall 
float over Jordan into the sweet land of 
Canaan." 

The watch-night of 1851, and the cove- 
nant Sunday of 1852, were seasons of the 
most solemn self-examination, and also of 
the highest devotional enjoyment, to our 
departed friend. 

Through this year he continued to en- 
joy most largely the sanctifying power of 
the Holy Spirit, though at times he suf- 
fered keenly from the assault of temptation. 
His body was evidently becoming weaker, 
and the adversary of souls tried in the 
moment of physical suffering to weaken 
his faith; but Father Reeves knew his 
resource — the word of God, the divine 
promise, and the blood of atonement ; and 
in believing prayer his enemy was con- 
quered ! 

" Satan trembles when lie sees 
The weakest saint upon his knees." 



HIS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 139 

Last June, our friend's diary states : 
" Various have been my conflicts since I 
last wrote : conflicts within ; conflicts in 
the Church w T hich I so dearly love ; con- 
flicts in my family,* although we are one 
heart and soul in Christ ; and conflicts in 
the world, for the salvation of which I 
daily pray. Well, I thank my ever-blessed 
God that he doth continue to count me 
worthy to have a daily cross, and to give 
me grace in any measure to take it up 
and follow my Lord whithersoever he 
would have me go. But O the unspeak- 
able mercies, with all the joys and com- 
forts for my body, and above all, for my 
soul, since I last wrote. O yes ! joys in 
tribulation ; joys within ; unspeakable joys 
with God ; joys with my family ; joys in 
the Church below ; and a glorious joy by 
faith and hope that I shall soon have a 
never-failing joy in glory ! Amen." 

The next extract contains the last solemn 
covenant with God the departed saint 
wrote : — 

" The end of another Methodistical year ; 

° The affliction of Mrs. Reeves at this lime. 



140 FATHER REEVES. 

August, 1852. To-day, by the mercy of 
God, I have been permitted again to pre- 
sent my body and soul a living sacrifice 
through the precious blood of Jesus, and 
thereby join myself to God in solemn 
covenant. I still feel as much need as 
ever to come through the blood of atone- 
ment, a poor, wretched, miserable, blind, 
naked, polluted, guilty wretch, unworthy 
of a look from Jesus. Yet, blessed be his 
name ! sinner as I am, I am enabled by 
faith, a moment at a time, to look up and 
call God, Abba, Father ! And I have 
been led to make the most happy contrast 
between now and forty-four years ago, 
when for the first time I joined myself in 
a marriage covenant with the Lord. I 
believe even then I gave up myself sin- 
cerely and fully — body, soul, and spirit : 
bTLt O, how dark was I, and ignorant ! I 
knew nothing of what the Lord had to do 
for me, or to make me, before he could 
receive my soul as his bride, — such as to 
justify me by faith, and to sanctify me by 
his Holy Spirit. I then had no knowledge 
that I must come through great tribula- 



HIS KELIGTOUS EXPERIENCE. 141 

tion, and my robes be washed and made 
white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 
vii, 14 to end ; and i, 5 ; iii, 4 ; Ezek. xxxvi, 
25-29 ; 1 Cor. vi, 11 ; that I must be filled 
with the fruits of righteousness, Phil, i, 11 ; 
and with all the fulness of God, Eph. 
iii, 17-19 ; i, 3, 4 ; and have the laws of 
God put in my mind and written on my 
heart. Heb. viii, 10. Now all this, and 
much more, is contained, I now perceive, 
in the new covenant ; and Christ is the 
mediator of the new and better covenant : 
and now, O God, I am bold to call thee 
my covenant Father ! 

" Wm. Reeves." 



142 FATHEK REEVES. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE HOLY DEAD ! O, BLEST WE "ARE, 
THAT WE M 4,Y CALL THEM SO ! — HEMANS. 

RECENT EXPERIENCE AND DEATH. 

"We hasten to the close; — two or three 
more extracts from the diary of our be- 
loved friend, and we have done. In these 
pages, the subject of them speaks for him- 
self—he is mainly the painter of his own 
portrait : a few friendly touches are added, 
and a plain frame supplied ; yet all who 
look on the picture will see that it is real, 
life-like, and, it is to be hoped, will deem 
some of its features worth copying. 

Under date September 6, 1852, the 
diary presents the following :- — " To-night, 
being in much pain of body, and thereby 
unable to take rest till four o'clock in the 
morning, I thought how much precious 
time my heavenly Father hath given me 
over and above many of my dear brethren, 
to meditate on the everlasting and glo- 
rious rest my Jesus hath gone to prepare 



HfcCENT EXPEDIENCE AND DEATH. 143 

for me — even tlie chief of sinners, me ! 
And if it is sweet to meditate in the day- 
time, in a noisy busy world, my heart and 
soul can say it is much sweeter — sweeter 
than the honey-comb — to meditate at silent 
midnight when all are fast asleep around 
me. Not a voice to be heard, but the 
voices of the heavenly host speaking to 
the soul. They were like the angels at 
the top of Jacob's ladder, calling me ; and 
every step I rose, I heard a heavenly voice 
crying to my soul, ' Come up higher :' — 
so truly my soul has been caught up into 
paradise. O may I ever keep it there by 
faith and prayer." 

Sunday, September 12, Father Reeves 
received his last ticket of membership in 
the Methodist Society. " To-day, we as 
a class renewed our Church fellowship — 
the Rev. Luke Wiseman gave us our 
tickets. We had between fifty and sixty 
in number present. It was indeed a soul- 
reviving time ; there w T ere broken-hearted 
penitents crying aloud for mercy ; many 
others rejoicing in God's pardoning love ; 
and several, in a full salvation, having 



144 FATHER REEVES. 

their hearts washed in the atoning blood 
of Jesus. And glory, glory be to my 
heavenly Father, that I must say I believe 
I have never felt before in my own soul 
so full an assurance of the sanctifying 
power of perfect love. I believe it was a 
time never to be forgotten. To God be 
all the glory, to whom it all belongs. O 
that the Lord may ever keep me humble 
at the foot of the cross ! Amen and Amen. 
Again my soul replies, Amen ! At the 
conclusion, our beloved minister sung — • 

1 Press forward, press forward, the prize is in view ; 
A crown of bright glory is waiting for you.' " 

" October 10, 1852. — Sunday. I have 
experienced uncommon nearness to God 
all this happy day. The Rev. Mr. Jobson 
preached in the morning from the first 
verses of the 23d Psalm ; and truly my 
soul was overwhelmed with a joy unspeak- 
able, and with a love to Jesus my Saviour, 
that words can never express. I could 
say with all the powers of my soul, as I 
never could before in all the fulness of its 
meaning, 'The Lord is my shepherd, T 



DECENT EXPERIENCE AND DEATH. 145 

shall not want.' I only want more of 
Jesus, so the experience of the first three 
verses is my own ; and I dare believe like 
David, ' When I walk through the valley 
of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, 
for Thou art with me.' I had a joyful 
meeting with my class in the afternoon." 

" October 12. There was a need for my 
going alone into Lambeth chapel this 
morning. I went and kneeled down on 
the happy spot^ where the ever-blessed 
Lord, by his Holy Spirit, gave me to see 
and feel my lost condition, almost forty- 
four years ago. Before I could get on my 
knees, my soul was in a moment filled 
with divine peace and heavenly joy. Ten 
thousand thousands of mercies rushed into 
my mind while I was pouring out my 
thrice happy soul in rapturous praise to 
the Triune God. Then my soul was hum- 
bled to the dust, at the remembrance of 
the misimproved grace and love the Lord 
had bestowed on me. Forty-four years 
ago I was young ; now I am old. O Lord, 
help me to redeem the time. It was a 
Bethel indeed to my soul." 
10 



146 FATHER REEVES. 

October 14, the death of an old disciple 
is recorded : " One of my beloved class- 
mates, who has met with me in Church- 
fellowship thirty-two years. She lived the 
life of the gospel, and died full of faith 
and of the Holy Ghost." 

The last entry in the diary is on the 
25th of October ; it is a specimen of many 
inserted at various times : — " I have found 
much profit and cause for humiliation to- 
day, while visiting the sick and poor of 

Christ's little flock. Mr. gave me 

some tickets to give to the poor to get 
them bread to feed their bodies. While 
I was going from house to house, praising 
God for the unspeakable honour that he 
had put on such a poor sinful worm, these 
precious words of Jesus came to my mind, 
and my soul was filled with joy and love, 
— ' I am the living bread which came 
down from heaven ; if any man eat of this 
bread he shall live forever.'" John vi, 51. 

Next to bringing poor sinners to Christ, 
the greatest enjoyment of our sainted 
friend was found in his employment as al- 
moner to the poor of the household of faith. 



RECEXT EXPERIENCE AJS T D DEATH. 147 

A week after writing the last extract 
Father Keeves was numbered with the 
dead on earth, and the glorified in heaven ! 
But had he contemplated sudden death ? 
It would appear probable from the follow- 
ing, which was found on a loose piece of 
paper in his diary : — 

" For my natural birth-day, (Decem- 
ber 15,) if spared. Praise the Lord, O my 
soul, who has permitted a poor sinner to 
live more than the allotted time for man 
to live on earth. Therefore, I now con- 
sider I cannot have a right to any more 
time ; I consider I now stand between 
time and eternity, at the Lord's pleasure, 
to call me any moment when he will." 

On Wednesday, October 27th, he called 
on one who had formerly met with him, 
and who, having been appointed a leader, 
had taken a part of the Sunday class. 
This Mend communicates the following : 
it bears evidence that our departed friend 
was living in constant preparation. 

" He said, ' As I was walking along the 
streets, I thought of my age, seventy-three 
years — seventy-three ! Why, how is that \ 



AS FATHER REEVES. 

Throes ^ore and ten is the promise, and I 
have had three over this. Surely this was 
the Lord's time that he gave me in which 
to glorify him ; it was not mine at all. I 
had threescore and ten to prepare for eter- 
nity, and now three years to glorify my 
heavenly Father. O brother, I see then 
I ought to be living in such a state of 
readiness, that if I was called this moment, 
('moment' was said with emphasis,) I 
ought to be prepared. I feel my soul 
filled with love Atfhen I contemplate the 
love of God to me ; my soul for some time 
has been continually filled with love. In- 
deed, the last two or three weeks have 
been the happiest of my life." 

Thursday found our friend at the weekly 
meeting of the visitors of the Strangers' 
Friend Society, to receive cases for visita- 
tion ; then at the public service in Lam- 
beth chapel ; then at the leaders' meeting. 

Friday found him at his class, uttering, 
in his well-known tones, entreaty and en- 
couragement, admonition and counsel. 

Saturday found him at the prayer-meet- 
ing in the school-room, pleading again for 



RECENT EXPERIENCE AND DEATH. 149 

himself, his brethren, the Church, and the 
world. 

Sunday found him as usual the first in 
the vestry, looking out the lessons, mark- 
ing the collect, noting the psalms for the 
minister ; it found him the devout wor- 
shipper in public service ; then meeting 
his beloved Sunday class for the last time, 
in the afternoon : and in the evening he 
listened to a discourse based on these words, 
" Man dieth and wasteth away : yea, man 
giveth up the ghost, and where is he ?" 
At a prayer-meeting, held after service, 
he was one of those who came into the 
pulpit pew, ready to engage, if required. 
Thus was spent his last Sabbath on earth. 

Monday, November 1, 1852, he visited 
cases for the Strangers' Friend Society ; 
he saw also an apparently dying man, and 

leaving him, said, " Brother B , I shall 

not be long after you." In the afternoon, 
he took his tea as usual ; then walked 
up and down his room, singing the lines 
Mr. Wiseman had taught his class — 

" Press forward, press forward, the prize is in view ; 
A crown of bright glory is waiting for you." 



150 FATHER REEVES. 

How near that prize — how close upon 
his brows that crown, none could imagine ! 
" Press forward," Father Reeves ! — a few 
more steps, thou good old nian, and the 
prize is within your grasp ! Reach out thy 
hand, and take the crown, thou humble, 
holy, useful servant ; for soon thou shalt no 
longer serve on earth, but reign in glory ! 

Not knowing his work was so nearly 
finished, this faithful man left his home. 
A few minutes only had elapsed, when a 
train, rattling over the railway-arch, start- 
ed a poor infuriated over-driven bullock : 
the animal struck the defenceless man ; 
one stroke was enough — in a moment he 
was unconscious ; and in an hour, all that 
was mortal of this servant of God was dead. 

To the spirit it was scarcely the passage 
of death, it was like translation — " He 
was not, for God took him." Just before 
he left his home, Father Reeves had been 
singing of glory; the strains were yet 
in all probability lingering in his soul ; — 
then there was a moment's pause of life ; 
and the next thing of which the spirit was 
conscious was the music of the skies. 



FUNERAL. 151 



CHAPTER XIV. 

WHOEVER LEADS SUCH A LIFE, NEEDS BE THE LESS ANXIOUS 
UPON HOW SHORT A WARNING IT IS TAKEN FROM HIM. 

LORD CLARENDON, OF LORD FALKLAND. 

PUNERAL. 

The news spread far and wide, and formed 
the principal topic of conversation in Lam- 
beth that evening. " Dead !" said a Lam- 
beth Walk shop-keeper — "who is dead?" 
" Mr. Reeves." " What, the little old man 
with the umbrella, that was always going 
about visiting the sick ?" And thus faith- 
fully was his character sketched by one 
who was little interested in the religious 
motives which actuated our friend, but 
who noticed and admired his life of de- 
votion. 

Groups were here and there discussing 
the event ; at the chapel-gates gathered 
leaders and members, who could talk of 
nothing else. The missionary prayer-meet- 
ing was to be held that evening. Father 
Reeves was invariably present when able, 



152 FATIIEB SEEVES, 

and would have been there then had he 
been spared. But what a meeting I— sing- 
ing was checked by sobs— prayer mingled 
with tears. Yet it was our loss, the Church's 
loss, the loss to the neighbourhood that was 
mourned, — his departure was his triumph* 

The following Monday, November 8, 
was chosen for the funeral. Agreeably to 
Father Reeves's wish, expressed in a paper 
dated in 1829, his body was removed from 
his house to Lambeth Chapel, and "the 
corpse was laid across the first pew behind 
the column under the clock, for that is just 
the blessed spot where the Lord so deeply 
convinced me of sin. 55 

Agreeably to his wish, the third chapter 
of the Revelation was read, and the reader 
paused, "in silence, one minute," before 
reading the 20th verse. 

It was a solemn thing : the corpse in our 
midst, and fiftepn hundred people obeying 
the injunction of the spirit that once ani- 
mated that mortal body, and keeping per- 
fect silence, before those words were read, 
that were, by God's grace, the means of 
his conversion. 



LUXEKAL. 153 

By Father Reeves's direction, too, we 
sang the first and second verses of 209th 
hymn ; an exhortation was given by the 
Rev. F. J. Jobson, superintendent of the 
circuit, and our late superintendent (the 
Rev. John Hall) closed this service with 
prayer. The ministers of the circuit pre- 
ceded the body; the immediate relatives 
of the deceased followed ; stewards, trus- 
tees, leaders, local preachers, officers of the 
Methodist Society of all ranks, came after ; 
the Rev. Messrs. Hall and Pennington, 
who had formerly been in our circuit, 
mingled with the mourners; the fifteen 
hundred from within the chapel were met 
by nearly one thousand without ; and from 
almost every window in the line of proces- 
sion were serious lookers-on. 

Lambeth old church and Lambeth bur- 
ial-ground have, probably, never had a 
larger concourse at a funeral before ; and 
never were mourners more assured that the 
dead they left behind was left in the grave 
" in sure and certain hope of a resurrec- 
tion into everlasting life/ 5 



164: FATHER REEVES. 

" Grave ! the guardian of his dust — 
Grave ! the treasury of the skies, — 

Every atom of thy trust 
Rests in hope again to rise ! 

" Hark ! the judgment- trumpet calls — 
1 Soul, rebuild thy house of clay : 

Immortality thy walls, 
And eternity thy day V " — Montgomery. 

What could have brought such a gath- 
ering together? What made the very 
poor try to get some scrap of mourning ? 
What occasioned the murmured blessings 
from the crowd, as the corpse passed by? 
Could wealth have purchased these? It 
might have purchased the semblance, but 
not the reality. Could rank, or human 
honours — scientific eminence or literary 
merit? Scarcely could these, with all 
their attractions, have produced half the 
interest which surrounded the grave of a 
poor old man ! The reason ? — This poor 
man became religious ; the religious man 
became useful; and the useful man was 
honoured. 

A life of plodding, persevering, consist- 
ent usefulness, may offer little to attract 
the world, but God owns it; and when 



FUNERAL. 155 

that life is recalled, men feel the world 
has less of goodness in it than it had be- 
fore. 

The funeral sermon was preached by the 
Rev. Luke IT. Wiseman, on Sunday eve- 
ning, Nov. 14th, from these words : "Bless- 
ed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they 
may rest from their labours, and their works 
do follow them." 

The chapel was crowded in every part ; 
two thousand must have been inside. The 
girls' school was filled by parties who could 
not get into the chapel ; and there, an old 
friend, the father of the local preachers on 
the circuit, discoursed on a kindred theme. 
But, after all, it appeared that hundreds 
went away. 

In 1833 our departed friend wrote the 
following : — " One thing I have to beg of 
my dear and much-beloved friends at Lam- 
beth chapel: if anything should be said 
about a poor worm, after I have gone to 
my own place — mother earth — do not say 
' I have done this or that thing ;' or, ' I 
have been this or that; 5 for the little I 



156 FATHER REEVES. 

have attempted to do for so many years, I 
have done so badly, I am ashamed of it 
before my heavenly Father; therefore, I 
pray, do not read anything of my doing 
or being, to waste precious time, and weary 
the people. Not that I w^ould have any- 
thing hid that my ever-blessed Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ hath done. No ! For 
what he hath done for me, O, eternity will 
be too short to utter all his praise ! If you 
tell the people anything, tell them how 
good the Lord hath been to my soul, in 
calling me out of nature's darkness into 
his marvellous light ; in pardoning all my 
sins, and making me happy in his love ; 
and in keeping me so many years among 
his beloved people. O, tell this aloud ! 
Lgt all the -people praise him ; yea, let all 
the people praise him ; and praise him 
again and again, O my soul !" 

Again, we have another injunction at a 
later date : — " I pray you all, let there not 
be one word said or written, to extol the 
poor work of a sinner saved by grace alone. 
To God belongs all the praise !" And to 
the ever-blessed God, who raised up this 



FUNERAL. 157 

instrument of extraordinary usefulness, 
and who, by his grace and mercy, kept 
him faithful, would all the friends of the 
deceased ascribe the glory ! Amen ! 

A paper, dated January, 1843, author- 
izes this publication. It is addressed to 
"It. James Nash, Mr. John Corderoy, 
Mr. Edward Corderoy, Mr. Cough, and 
Mr. Hooker: — My very dearest friends, 
and brothers in the Lord, — I should wish 
you, if you do not think it too much 
trouble, to look over these fragments of 
papers ; and if you think, in your better 
judgment, anything can be gathered out 
and put together, for the benefit of the 
Church and the world — or of a few poor 
individuals — please do it ; that the world 
may see, while thousands of pounds are 
sent to the east, west, north, and south, 
the Lord's work is not forgotten at home ; 
that a poor shepherd-boy, with the vilest 
and worst, has been brought to God ; 
and that you can still say, with our great 
Founder, 'The best of all is, the Lord is 
with us at ' Lambeth." 

He entreats that the contents of his box 



158 FATHER REEVES. 

may be well sifted; that "the chaff may 
be separated from the wheat." 

It is under this authority, and by the 
wish of his members, and of the Lambeth 
society generally, that these pages appear. 
May they be accompanied with the divine 
blessing, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 



POSTSCRIPT. 



ONE WOED TO METHODIST CLASS-LEADERS. 

Dear Brethren, — One of your number has 
fallen. — one of the most useful of your highly- 
honoured and useful class, — one whose labours 
God graciously owned in a remarkable degree. 
May I be permitted to say, his character, in some 
particulars, is imitable ? 

He was never (or only once) behind time at 
class, or public worship. 

Never absent but through sickness or distance. 

He never let a Sunday pass without inviting 
one or more sinners to the Saviour. 

He never went to class without earnest prep- 
aration, a careful selection of hymns, Scripture 
references, and, apparently, topics for prayer. 



POSTSCRIPT. 159 

He never permitted absence without knowing 
the cause, or immediate visitation to ascertain it. 

He never omitted to collect the moneys in his 
classes, whenever they met ; and he never neg- 
lected paying the amount collected to the stew- 
ards every week. 

He never forgot the poor of his classes; but 
brought his list of the necessitous every Poor's 
night. 

To him the loss of members was a source of 
humiliation — a matter for self-abasement in his 
classes. 

The prosperity of Zion was his chief joy. 

He lived in the spirit of his covenant engage- 
ments with God — being ready for any service, 
and rejoicing in all; but never neglecting any 
work he had undertaken. 

His Bible was his teacher — prayer his element 
— his duty — his delight. Consecrating his time, 
his soul, his energies, unremittingly, unreserved- 
ly, to God and his cause, no wonder he was 
blessed. Would it not be well if all leaders were 
like him in these particulars ? If all were like 
him in these things, should we not have a holier, 
happier, and more useful Church ? 

Yours, faithfully, 
The Writer of these Pages. 



160 FATHER REEVES. 



NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. 

While these pages have been passing through the 
press, a friend has suggested that the title is not the 
best — that it may by some be "considered to savour 
of Popery." If others think so, an explanation may 
be needful. The fact is, that for years past we have 
been in the habit, at Lambeth, of calling the subject 
of this Memoir, " Father Reeves ;" it came naturally 
to us, for he was the contemporary of our fathers ; 
he was a useful man when most of us were children ; 
we honoured his holy, consistent, valuable course, 
and when we talked together about his biography, 
nothing seemed so appropriate as to call the book by 
the name with which we had been in the habit of sa- 
luting the man. 



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